Stress in the Workplace : Why Is it Important to Deal with It?
Stress in the Workplace : Why Is it Important to Deal with It? Stress is a part of the tapestry of work. Few people have not experienced the frantic irritation of being overwhelmed when they are drained of physical and mental energy to meet a deadline or make a presentation to a group of trainees. As people are different, stress that may intimidate one person can invigorate and challenge another. What seems to matter is whether the individual in the stressful situation believes that they have the resources to cope, to maintain a sense of control. This is particularly so with adults who have a developed sense of their own autonomy and may explain why so often people do not seek help until they are on the brink of a 'stress breakdown'. The problem is that when it's easier to salvage, people are soldiering on and are not so willing to talk about it. This trend is supported by Workcover statistics that show stress claims are on the rise and those most at risk are people working in professional and semi-professional ranks. Stress costs more than $50 million and accounted for 5.4 % of overall claims in 1998-99, compared with 2.7% 10 years earlier. The upward trend has continued despite a tightening of the eligibility criteria in 1994-95 that stipulated that work had to be a significant factor in the complaint, rather than aspects of the worker's personal life. Stress
Sleepiness - A critique of its measurement
Sleepiness - A critique of its measurement Contents Introduction 2 Overview of Sleep Function 3 The different dimensions of Sleepiness 4 Overview: methods for measuring Sleepiness 5 SUBJECTIVE MEASURES 5 Visual Analogue Scales 5 Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) 5 Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) 6 Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) 6 OBJECTIVE MEASURES 6 EEG 6 Pupillography 6 Vigilance and Reaction Time 7 Maintenance of Wakefulness (MWT) 7 Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) 7 The MSLT looks at sleep propensity, i.e. it conceptualises sleepiness as the likelihood of falling asleep. It has proved extremely popular with sleep researchers, referred to by Roehrs, et al. (2000) as the "the standard physiological measure of sleepiness" (see Carskadon et al., 1986). The test uses standard polysomnographic techniques to measure the latency to fall asleep, on repeated measures at 2-hour intervals during the day. The setting is a quiet, dark bedroom. 7 Other behavioural components... moving on to Johns' stuff 8 Jonathan Scott 9 Prof Jim Horne, Prof Kevin Morgan & Dr Clare Anderson 9 Sleep Research Laboratory, Department of Human Sciences, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, U.K. 9 References 12 Introduction Sleepiness is certainly associated with such sleep disorders as sleep apnea and narcolepsy, but it is also a phenomenon that 'intrudes' into the waking state
Can a case be made for the use of homeopathy in the treatment of depression?
Extended Essay- Psychology Can a case be made for the use of homeopathy in the treatment of depression? Name: Hana Holdijk Centre number: 0528 Candidate number: 010 Abstract: This essay describes depression and the various ways that it has been treated throughout the years. Statistics show that most people who have had severe depression in their life have a 50-80% chance of it returning. The side effects of modern drugs used to treat various diseases are extremely unpleasant. Research shows depression treated with psychotherapy does not prove to be very successful. It is also very hard to assess the effectiveness of psychotherapy and many people are rarely cured from depression. Homeopathy offers a safer, viable alternative to psychotherapy and drug treatment. It has no side effects and cures on a deeper level, preventing the patient from having a relapse later on. If it works, the effect is a long term curative one. If not, the palliative effect it creates is not harmful in any way. In this essay, the basic principles and method of treatment of homeopathy are discussed to try and enlighten the reader with an alternative form of healing. Homeopathy has become increasingly popular throughout the world because of the success rate it has with patients suffering from all kinds of diseases. I was inspired to write this paper because as the daughter of two homeopaths, I am
Unit 1 psychology revsion notes (memory, attachment, research methods)
Transfer-Encoding: chunked Memory Multi-store model Atkinson and Shiffrin * 3 separate unitary stores * Information processing system * Sensory, short-term, long-term * Sensory - Decays rapidly unless paid attention – STM – linear way * capacity of STM is just 7 +/- 2 - Information at this stage is typically encoded acoustically * rehearsal within STM – passed to LTM – unlimited capacity * Support from neurophysiological case studies –Clive Wearing – STM can function normally while transfer to and retrieval of LTM is impossible – KF had normal LTM but impaired STM * Laboratory experiments have provided support for the existence of two separate stores, STM and LTM – Glanzer and Cuntiz * Overemphasises the role of rehearsal in forming LTM – not the only way – craik and lockhart Sperling – Capacity * Chart, P’s asked to recall letters * P’S recall single rows when tones where heard * P’s could recall 4/5 in first stage * P’s could recall 3 in second stage * Image of each item fades during the time it takes to recall back * High levels of control – lab experiment * Lack of ecological validity, external validity Peterson and Peterson – Duration * Showed consonant trigram * Count backwards – prevents rehearsal * Recall 80% with 3 second intervals * Got worse as intervals lengthened * Information decays
What are the Risk Factors for Childhood and Adolescent Depression?
What are the Risk Factors for Childhood and Adolescent Depression? PS51010a Extended Essay Name: Jackie Tilston Date: 30 March 2001 Popular psychology tends to blame childhood and adolescent depression on factors such as experience of divorce. In reality however the risk factors for depression across these ages are much more complicated. There are many perspectives that have been used to address childhood and adolescent depression, including developmental, psychobiological, and psychodynamic approaches. There are therefore a number of different levels of explanation and many specific explanations within each level. Although not all explanations can be discussed here, it is the aim of this essay to extract as many of the risk factors as possible that overlap at least one of these levels. To arrive at as full a description as possible it is necessary to ask why it is useful to analyse what causes depression in children and adolescents, both theoretically and practically. It is then necessary to, firstly, examine what is meant by depression generally and, secondly, to briefly analyse what the differences are between adult depression and depression in young people, before providing a short description of the parameters of childhood and adolescence. The risk factors or causes of depression within these parameters will then be described, including gender, hormones,
Anxiety Disorders
Evaluation of Axiety Disorders Generalised Anxiety Disorder(GAD) Characteristics GAD is characterised by an excessive, irrational worry about everyday events, such as family members going to work or going out. This anxiety will manifest itself in fidgeting, fatigue, insomnia, sweating, difficulty swallowing or breathing, nausea or headaches, among others. To be diagnosed these symptoms must be consistent and ongoing for at least 6 months and must be interfering with the patients daily routine Treatment and Prognosis Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one type of therapy that is particularly helpful in the treatment of GAD. Cognitive-behavioral therapy examines distortions in our ways of looking at the world and ourselves. Your therapist will help you identify automatic negative thoughts that contribute to your anxiety. For example, if you always imagining the worst possible outcome in any given situation you might challenge this tendency through questions such as, "What is the likelihood that this worst-case scenario will actually come true?" and "What are some positive outcomes that are more likely to happen?". Cognitive-behavioral therapy for GAD involves five components: Education. CBT involves learning about GAD. It also teaches you how to distinguish between helpful and unhelpful worry. An increased understanding of your anxiety encourages a more proactive
Sleep and Biological Rhythms revision
Biological Rhythms & Sleep Biological Rhythms Circadian rhythm - within 24 hours Circadian rhythm is controlled by the EP: SCN (damage in rats found circadian rhythm patterns eliminated) and EZs, predominantly light Sleep / Waking * Siffre - 6 months in cave w/ few external cues made body clock change to 25-30 hours w/ 48 hours in once case + as he got older his body clock ticked slower * Folkard -Aimed to see if EZs could override the circadian rhythm. In a cave away from EZs w/ agreed sleep wake times. When clocks changed 2 hours quicker, only 1 pp changed their cycle to 22 hours, rest had free running rhythms. Only took a few days to resynch (importance of EZs in resynching) * Aschoff- In a WW II without EZs pps followed a cycle of 25 hours where they could change artificial light but was idiosyncratic 21-29 * Evidence from disrupting rhythms shows EZs have limited control Evaluation * Individual differences - shown in all studies + Siffre idiosyncratic + morning vs. night people + circadian length + lifespan differences (also Siffre) * Application in chronotherapeuatics * Shows EZs have some control, but it's minimal and better viewed as interaction * Unlikely why we have evolved with 25 hour clock compared to 24 (Czeisler - body clock is 24 hours in highly controlled experiment) * Methodological - effects of artificial light + allowing pps to turn lights on
Psychological influences in childbearing and midwifery practice - A Rite of Passage: Transition from Womanhood to Motherhood
Thelma Jamieson 728961 BSc (Hons) Midwifery Pre-Registration (SHORT) MID 303 PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCES IN CHILDBEARING AND MIDWIFERY PRACTICE Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) A Rite of Passage: Transition from Womanhood to Motherhood Faculty of Health and Social Work School of Health Professional Exeter Module Teacher Lee Wright 5/11/2004 Word Count 2589 This report was triggered by a video entitled 'The Baby Blues' (BBC 1995) which was part of an enquiry-based-learning module. The focus of the enquiry will be on the midwife's role in identifying the psychological factors that put women at risk of developing postnatal depression highlighting strategies such as 'primary prevention' and 'early intervention' (Austin 2003) to improve outcomes in mortality, morbidity and encourage positive mother-baby relationships. The transition from womanhood to motherhood is a 'rite of passage' (Van Gennep 1909, 1969) and can contribute to personal growth and be wonderful, but it can also be a time that can predispose women to mental disorders. Barnes (2002) describes the transition to parenthood as an 'experience of crisis proportion'. Affective disorders can range from mild transitory 'blues' through to severe postnatal depression, puerperal mania, and psychosis (Brockington 1996). The Department of Health (DOH 2002) takes the view that maternal mortality due to mental
Depression - Gender Differences.
DEPRESSION: GENDER DIFFERENCES Among the myriad differences between men and women is the manner in which they are influenced by and respond to depression. From environmental to social and cultural to chemical, the divergent factors that categorize depression as having separate indicators and consequences. Among other methods, organizational therapy employs the use of clarification between people and events in order to ascertain a basis of the depression; as a means by which to establish a relationship between the issues and the individuals who bring them to light, organizational therapy is a way to correlate the association between "life cycle events and the onset of problems" (Stanton, 1992, p. 331). As well, the fact that depression manifests itself differently between men and women draws upon research for such conclusions, which clearly demonstrate the physical variances. Chemical imbalance in the brain has long been thought to be the cause for depression. But researchers at Washington University have discovered possible structural abnormalities in the brain as well. The prefrontal cortex has been found to be smaller in the brains of the depressed person. In fact, depressed patients have been found to have a drastically smaller volume of a section of the left PFC that sits behind the bridge of the nose. In some cases this section is up to forty percent smaller in
Stress can be explained as the stimulus in the environment that triggers a stress response. Psychologists call anything that causes someone to act stressed a stressor
.Stress. Stress as a Bodily Response Stress is a Response to Stimuli in the Environment . Stress can be explained as the stimulus in the environment that triggers a stress response. Psychologists call anything that causes someone to act stressed a 'stressor' 2. Stress can be explained as a response to a stimuli 3. 'The response that occurs when we think we can't cope with the pressures in our environment' can lead to stress. HANS SELYE studied this with stressed rats. Hans Selye Explained Stress as a Three Stage Response Hans Selye (1956) found rats became ill when they were given harmless injections. He concluded that all animals & humans react to stressors through a three stage physiological response. This is called General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). . The Alarm Stage - when we perceive a stressor our arousal levels increase this happens so that we are ready to make any physical response. 'Fight or Flight' 2. The Resistance Stage - when exposed to stressor for long time, out bodies adapt to the situation and we can cope in a normal way. However, there would still will a high level of arousal. 3. The Exhaustion Stage - after long time exposure to a stressor our bodies will eventually be unable to continue to cope with the situation. Alarm stage may return (result in distress). Selye called this 'diseases of adaptation'. Commentary * The GAS theory offers a single
