acute stress disorder
disorder that occurs within 4 weeks after a traumatic event and lasts for a minimun of 2 days and a maximum of 4 weeks
adjustment disorder
a disorder in which a person's response to a common stressor is maladaptive and occurs within 3 months of the stressor
allostatic load
the biological cost of adapting to stress; high stress = AL high, low stress = AL low
antigens
a foreign body or an internal threat that can trigger an immune response
b cell
a type of white blood cell, produced in the bone marrow, that is very important in the immune system
behavioral medicine
broad interdisciplinary approach to the treatment of physical disorders thought to have psychological factors as major aspects in their causation and/or maintenance
coping strategies
efforts to deal with stress
cortisol
human stress hormone released by the cortex of the adrenal glands
crisis
stressful situation that approaches or exceeds the adaptive capacities of an individual or group
crisis intervention
provision of psychological help to an individual or group in times of severe and special stress
cytokines
small protein molecules that enable the brain and the immune system to communicate with each other
debriefing sessions
psychological debriefing is a brief, directive treatment method that is used in helping people who have undergone a traumatic situation
distress
negative stress, associated with pain, anxiety, or sorrow
essential hypertension
high blood pressure with no specific known physical cause
health psychology
subspecialty within behavioral medicine that deals with psychology's contributions to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of psychological components of physical dysfunction
hypertension
high blood pressure, defined as a persisting systolic blood pressure of 140 or more and a diastolic blood pressure of 90 or greater
HPA axis
brain-endocrine system involved in responding to stress in which the hypothalamus and pituitary send messages to the adrenal gland which releases a stress hormone that feeds back on the hypothalamus
immune system
the body's principle means of defending itself against the intrusion of foreign substances
immunosuppression
a down regulation or dampening of the immune system. this can be short or long term and can be triggered by injury, stress, illness, and other factors
lymphocytes
generalized term for white blood cells involved in immune protection
positive psychology
a new field that focuses on human traits and resources that are potentially important for health and well-being
post traumatic stress disorder
disorder that occurs following an extreme traumatic event, in which a person reexperiences the event, avoids reminders of the trauma, and exhibits persistent increased arousal
prolonged exposure
a behaviorally-oriented treatment strategy in which the patient is asked to vividly recount the traumatic event over and over until there is a decrease in their emotional responses
psychoneuroimmunology
study of the interactions between the immune system and the nervous system and the influence of these factors on behavior
stress
effects created within an organism by the application of a stressor
stress inoculation training
preventive strategy that prepares people to tolerate an anticipated threat by changing the things they say to themselves before the crisis
stress tolerance
a person's ability to withstand stress without becoming seriously impaired
stressors
adjustive demands that require coping behavior on the part of an individual or group
SAM system
system designed to mobilize resources and prepare for a fight or flight response
t cell
a type of white blood cell that, when activated, can recognize specific antigens; play an important role in the immune system
type a behavior pattern
excessive competitive drive even when it is unnecessary, impatience or time urgency, and hostility
type d personality
characterized by high levels of negative emotions and social anxiety; research shows this type can be linked to heart attacks