Stress

Stress - INTERVENING FACTORS

Lazarus and colleagues believe that “items cannot be conceptualized as stressors independently of a person’s reaction to them”. (Lazarus et. al; 1985). He suggests that one “cannot separate the environment from the individual characteristics of the person exposed to the environment without destroying the concept of stress”. Thus an event may be stressful for some people yet not for others. Whether or not it is a stressor is dependent on how it is “appraised” by the individual (Jones et. al.. 2001).

The following pages consider the intervening factors in an individual’s reaction and susceptibility to stress :
- Personality : type A personality, belief and attitudes
- Coping styles : problem-focused vs. emotion focused
- Social support
- Religiosity and spiritual support
- Exercise
- Healthy Diet


Type A personality

Research (Friedman & Rosenman, 1974) has shown a close relationship between personality and coronar...