Stress and Health
Code: 102594 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2502443 Psychology | OT | 4 |
Contact
- Name:
- Tatiana Rovira Faixa
- Email:
- tatiana.rovira@uab.cat
Teachers
- Silvia Edo Izquierdo
- Guillermo Parra Lorenzo
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
Objectives and Contextualisation
The objectives of the course are:
Acquiring an expert knowledge on stress and its relationship with health.
Knowing how to identify contextual and individual triggers of the stress process.
Gaining skills for assessing stress and its impact on wellbeing and health.
Knowing how to classify different types of coping strategies, and analyze their efficency on different contexts.
Distinguishing which research method, among the ones used on stress field, suits to the research objective.
To develop skills on stress and emotions managment.
Having the ability to assess positive versus negative attitudes towards stress and health.
Competences
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
- Apply techniques to collect and produce information about the functioning of individuals, groups and organisations in context.
- Communicate efficiently, using the appropriate media (oral, written or audio-visual) taking into account diversity and all elements that may ease communication or make it more difficult.
- Criticise the effects of personal practice on people, taking into account the complexity of human diversity.
- Identify and recognise the different methods for assessment and diagnosis in the different areas applied to psychology.
- Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands.
- Recognise the determinants and risk factors for health and also the interaction between people and their physical and social environment.
- Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
- Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
- Use adequate tools for communication.
- Work in a team.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
- Analyse the differences for reasons of sex/gender in your own area of knowledge, avoiding bias and discrimination
- Apply assessment techniques in health psychology.
- Communicate in an inclusive manner avoiding the use of sexist or discriminatory language.
- Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
- Criticise the effects of personal practice on people, taking into account the complexity of human diversity.
- Describe the models and contributions of biomedical and bio psychosocial perspectives to an understanding of health.
- Identify different assessment instruments and strategies in health psychology.
- Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
- Identify the main psychological determinants affecting the development of health problems and ways of tackling them.
- Identify the social, economic and/or environmental implications of academic and professional activities in the area of your knowledge.
- Recognise the basics of emotional communication.
- Use adequate tools for communication.
- Work in a team.
Content
1. Stress: the concept.
Historical perspectives. Definition. Explicative models.
2. Stress models: contextual approach.
Prediction, control and conflict. Contextual models of work stress.
3. Stress models: transactional approach.
Primary and secondary appraisal. Coping strategies.
4. Why people react differently to stress?
Personality. Optimsim and personal competence. Social support.
5. Stress' influence on health and disease.
Physiological dynamics. Methodological designs. Stress and cardiovascular system. Stress and immunological system.
6. Stress and cognition.
Anxiety, depression and positive emotions. Attention, perception, memory and thinking.
7. Stress and wellbeing.
Quality of life. Postraumatic growth. Burnout.
8. Stress and emotions managment.
Relaxation techniques, breathing, imagination, and full's consioussness. Stress episodes analysis, commitments and values clarification, active coping and worry control. Personal growth and cognitive reestructuration. Problem solving.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Activities and exercices (group 1/1) | 8 | 0.32 | 2, 7, 8, 10, 13 |
| Conferences (group 1/1) | 16 | 0.64 | 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 |
| Stress managment seminars (group 1/5) | 12 | 0.48 | 3, 5, 6, 9, 12 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Individual tutoring | 2 | 0.08 | 7, 10 |
| Tutoring group work | 4 | 0.16 | 10, 13 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Exercises | 12 | 0.48 | 7, 8, 10 |
| Group work | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 4, 10, 14 |
| Reading | 20 | 0.8 | 3, 7, 8, 10 |
| Study | 58 | 2.32 | 3, 7, 8, 10 |
The teaching methodology (group 1/1) will combine conferences and exercises that will help the students to integrate the acquired knowledge. Activities in classroom will also be done to improve skills in the analysis and application of knowledge. Before each conference students will be required to do a previous reading and/or assignment to be worked in class.
In specialized seminar, topic 8 will be developed, simulating a stress management workshop with the students as participants. Between sessions, students will deliver exercises, where the content developed in the corresponding session should be applied to everyday life.
There is also a supervised group work. In this work, students must conduct an interview to someone experiencing a potentially stressful situation, and they will write a report analyzing the case and making specific recommendations. The preparation of the interview (profile of the person interviewed, interview guidelines...) will be guided through classroom indications and follow-up tutorials. Finally, some of the cases will be exposed and discussed in class.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ev1 and Ev2. Synthesis' tests | 70% (35% Ev1; 35% Ev2) | 3 | 0.12 | 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 |
| Ev3. Supervised work (written report, exposition and/or discussion, follow-up) | 15% | 0 | 0 | 1, 4, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14 |
| Ev4. Stress' managment seminars | 15% | 0 | 0 | 3, 6, 12, 13, 14 |
| Ev5. Classroom exercises (complement) | 5% | 0 | 0 | 2, 8, 9, 10 |
The assessment guidelines of the faculty are accessible at: https://www.uab.cat/web/estudiar/graus/graus/avaluacions-1345722525858.html. The presentation of the translation of the statements of the in-person assessment tests will be carried out if the requirements established in Article 263 of the academic regulations are met and the request is made in week 4 online (e-form; more information on the faculty website).
Ev1 and Ev2: There will be two written synthesis tests (one on each week of assessment). The Ev1 assess knowledge on the first part of the subject. The Ev2 assess knowledge on the second part of the subject. Tests include open questions with short answers, both theoretical and of application to cases and examples.
Ev3: The competences acquired through the supervised work will be assessed based on the written group report, that must be submitted between weeks 11 and 14 (in a specific date that will be informed), the oral session of exposition and/or discussion carried out in the last directed teaching session, and the follow-up (supervision of preparation of the interview script).
Ev4: This evidence will be assessed based on the overall of individual exercises carried out and delivered between the specialized seminar sessions (workshops) as well as the follow-up of the sessions. This evidence will only be included on final grade if student have attended at least 50% of the sessions.
Ev5: This evidence will be assessed based on the exercises done in classroom. This 5% of the grade will only be added to the final grade when the course is PASSED, and with a maximum grade of 10.
After the first synthesis test (Ev1), a general return will be done to the class, and tutorials will be scheduled for review, under request. After the second synthesis test (Ev2), a revision session will be programmed, which can alsobe used to review supervised work (Ev3) and evidence from specialized seminars (Ev4). Once each review period closed, the qualification will be deemed final.
NOT ASSESSED: Those students who have done evidence with a weight of less than 40% of the final grade will be "Not assessed."
PASS: When thefinal weighted sum of the evidences Ev1, Ev2, Ev3 and Ev4 is equal to or greater than 5. Only in this case the 5% of the Ev5 will be added. The maximum grade that can be obtained adding this evidence is 10.
RESIT: When the weighted sum of the evidences Ev1, Ev2, Ev3 and Ev4 is between 3.5 and 4.9, those who have completed at least 2/3 of the evidences will be eligible for resit. The resit will consist of a test equivalent to Ev1 and/or Ev 2 not passed. The grade in the resit test will replace the corresponding evidence, and the final grade will be the result of the new weighted sum. In this case, Ev5 will not be added.
SINGLE ASSESSMENT
Ev1 + Ev2 (35% + 35% of the final grade): There will be a synthesis test, in the second assessment week. Test includes open questions with short answers, both theoretical and of application to cases and examples.
Ev3 (15%): The students doing single assessment can particpiate in supervised work with a class grupu, although the evidence will be assessed individually,based on an exercise that will be made available to them and that they must deliver on the day of the synthesis test.
Ev4 (15%): It will be evaluated from the overall evaluation of the individual exercises that are proposed at the end of each session, which must be delivered on the day of the synthesis test, as well as the follow-up of the sessions. To weigh thisevidence in the final grade, it is necessary to have attended at least 50% of the sessions.
NOT ASSESSED: Those students who have done evidence with a weight of less than 40% of the final grade will be "Not assessed."
PASS: When thefinal weighted sum of the evidences Ev1+Ev2, Ev3 and Ev4 is equal to or greater than 5.
RESIT: When the weighted sum of the evidences Ev1+Ev2, Ev3 and Ev4 is between 3.5 and 4.9, those who have completed at least 2/3 of the evidences will be eligible for resit. The resit will consist of a test equivalent to Ev1+Ev 2. The grade in the resit test will replace the corresponding evidence, and the final grade will be the result of the new weighted sum.
Bibliography
Main References:
Enrique G. Fernández-Abascal y Francisco Palmero (Eds.) (1999). Emociones y Salud. Barcelona: Ariel.
Jordi Fernández-Castro (2020). Libérate del Estrés. Barcelona: RBA.
Fiona Jones & Jim Bright (2001). Stress. Mith, theory and Research. Harlow (UK): Pearson-Prentice Hall.
Robert M. Sapolsky (2008). ¿Por qué las cebras no tienen úlcera? La guía del estrés. Madrid: Alianza.
Complemenatry References:
Maria Jesús Álava (2003). La inutilidad del sufrimiento. Madrid: La esfera de los libros.
Maria Dolores Avia y Carmelo Vázquez (1998). Optimismo inteligente. Madrid: Alianza editorial.
Enrique G. Fernández-Abascal (Ed.) (2009). Emociones Positivas. Madrid: Pirámide.
Pedro Gil-Monte y José Maria Peiró (1997). Desgaste psíquico en el trabajo: El síndrome de quemarse. Madrid: Síntesis.
Margaret E. Kemeny (2003). The Psychobiology of Stress. Current directions in psychological science, 12(4), 124-129.
Richard S. Lazarus & Susan Folkman (1984). Stress, Appraisal and Coping. New York: Springer (Traducción (1986): Estrés y Procesos Cognitivos. Barcelona: Martínez Roca.).
Richard S. Lazarus (1999). Stress and emotion: A new synthesis. New York, US: Springer Publishing Company.
Michael P. O’Driscoll (2013). Coping with stress: a challenge for theory, research and practice. Stress and Health : Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 29(2), 89–90. doi:10.1002/smi.2489.
Suzanne C. Segerstrom & Daryl B. O’Connor (2012). Stress, health and illness: four challenges for the future. Psychology & Health, 27(2), 128–40. doi:10.1080/08870446.2012.659516.
Jonathan Smith (1993). Understandig stress and coping. New York: MacMillan Publising company.
Carmelo Vázquez y Gonzalo Hervás (2009). La Ciencia del bienestar : fundamentos de una psicología positiva. Madrid: Alianza.
David Alvear (2015). Mindfulness en positivo. Editorial Milenio.
Ausiàs Cebolla. Javier García-Campayo, Javier y Marcelo Demarzo, M. (2014) Mindfulness y ciencia: De la tradición a la modernidad. Madrid: Alianza Ensayo.
Helena Robles y María Isabel Peralta (2007). Programa para el control del estrés. Madrid: Pirámide.
Software
Tools of questionnaires, tasks and other activities of Moodle, to monitor and evaluate classes. Sporadically, also the Kahoot.
Language list
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEM) Seminars | 111 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 112 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 113 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 114 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |
| (SEM) Seminars | 511 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 5 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |