Discuss the methodological problems and theoretical limitations associated with traditional models of stress. How have critical health psychologists sought to reformulate and research this problem?

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Health Psychology

University of Essex

Discuss the methodological problems and theoretical limitations associated with traditional models of stress. How have critical health psychologists sought to reformulate and research this problem?

Health psychology is concerned with applying psychological knowledge and techniques to health and illness, it is predominantly concerned with the dualistic relationship between the mind and body. ‘We learn in health psychology that the mind and the body are thoroughly intertwined’ (Sarafino 1990). The biopsycholsocial model of health plays a  central role, determining Illness can be caused by a combination of biological (virus), psychological (behaviours and beliefs), and social (employment) factors.

A key concept in health psychology is stress, in this essay I shall be discussing this major health issue in relation to both mainstream and critical perspectives.  Stress as a mainstream concept has produced many theories, which have been developed to explain the causes, experiences and effects of stress and numerous methods used to investigate. As well as a disease in its own right stress has also been recognised as a causal factor for other illness’s such as Conerary Heart Disease and further, more recent research has seen the development of psychroneuroimmunology, the relationship  between psycho-social process and the immune system. Due to traditional research methods concerns have been justified towards the issue of gender and how women have been insufficiently studied. Critical health psychology disagrees with mainstream views as they present inadequate and questionable judgements, offering different perspectives and theories on how stress should be approached. It is critiqued that there is a focus on individualism disregarding social and cultural factors. They argue for additional methods of research a more hermeneutic approach, where the importance of meanings and experiences of suffering stress can be unravelled. Critical health psychologists have lead new research into the current discourse surrounding stress including its social and political role. Furthermore they identify various ways stress can be defined, and how narratives and rhetorical devises can expand the current limited discourse of stress. This essay shall discus the major mainstream theories, there limitations and how critical health psychology has reformed these traditional methods to form a better understanding of the illness, stress.

‘The original concept of stress, however, has been the object of confusion and controversy’  (Selye 1976).  However, it could be considered that stress is where your ability to cope collapses. The biopsychosocial model can be used to emphasize that there are both internal (biological) causal factors and external (social and environmental) causal factors. Throughout the twentieth century, models of stress have varied in terms of the definitions of stress, their differing emphasis on physiological and psychological factors, and their description of the relationship between individuals and their environment’. (Ogden 1996). Traditionally there are three contemporary models of conceptualising stress, as a stimulus to external stressors (The Social Readjustment Rating Scale Holmes and Rach 1967) as response to a internal physiological or psychological dysfunctions (General Adaptation Syndrome Seyle 1956) ‘non-specific re-sponce of the body to any demand made upon it’ (Bartlett 1998). Finally stress can be regarded as a transaction (The Transaction Theory Lazarus 1975, Lazarus and Folkman 1984). ‘Stress was the result of interpretations appraisal and adaptation to physical stressors- the mind and body are integrated to create the experience of stress’  (Marks 2002)

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It is difficult to distinguish what is considered to be a stressful event, a catastrophic event such as trauma from an accident or the death of a loved one, would obviously cause a great deal of stress, however a combination of daily hassles can also be considered stressful, events are stressful when perceived has both negative and uncontrollable. What needs to be considered is the state of mind of the individual involved in a stressful act and their ability to cope, the body has different ways of responding to stress, and both genetically and psychologically some people are more ...

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