CUET UG Psychology Mental Health Stress Sources Types Coping Strategies

Must-Know

• Stress is a physiological and psychological response to perceived threats or challenges, involving the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Example: Increased cortisol levels during exam season.
• Hans Selye proposed the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), which includes three stages: alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion.
• In the alarm stage of GAS, the body releases adrenaline and noradrenaline from the adrenal medulla, preparing for fight or flight.
• During the resistance stage, the body attempts to cope with the stressor by maintaining elevated levels of cortisol; if prolonged, resources deplete.
• Exhaustion occurs when prolonged stress leads to depleted energy reserves, increasing vulnerability to illness. Example: Burnout in teachers during board exam evaluation.
• Cognitive appraisal, as per Lazarus and Folkman, involves primary appraisal (evaluating if an event is stressful) and secondary appraisal (assessing coping options).
• Primary appraisal categorizes events as irrelevant, benign-positive, or stressful (harm/loss, threat, challenge). Example: Losing a job is harm; facing an interview is a challenge.
• Secondary appraisal assesses coping strategies: problem-focused (changing the situation) or emotion-focused (managing emotional response).
• Problem-focused coping is used when the stressor is controllable. Example: Studying harder after failing a test.
• Emotion-focused coping is used when the stressor is uncontrollable. Example: Seeking emotional support after bereavement.
• Daily hassles are minor, frequent irritations (e.g., traffic jams) that accumulate and contribute significantly to stress.
• Major life events like death of a spouse, divorce, or job loss are measured by the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), developed by Holmes and Rahe in 1967.
• SRRS assigns Life Change Units (LCUs); over 300 LCUs in a year indicates high risk of stress-related illness. Verify from NCERT.
• Workplace stressors include role ambiguity, role conflict, and work overload. Example: A nurse handling multiple emergencies simultaneously.
• Academic stress in students arises from performance pressure, exams, and fear of failure. Example: Anxiety before CUET exam.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may develop after exposure to traumatic events like accidents or violence, with symptoms like flashbacks and hypervigilance.
• Chronic stress suppresses immune function by reducing lymphocyte activity, increasing susceptibility to infections.
• Biofeedback is a technique that uses electronic monitoring to train individuals to control physiological processes like heart rate.
• Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation reduce autonomic arousal. Example: 10 minutes of mindfulness daily lowers cortisol.
• Social support acts as a buffer against stress; emotionally supportive relationships improve coping. Example: Talking to a friend after a breakup.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate — Requires understanding of psychological models (e.g., GAS, Lazarus’s appraisal) and application to real-life scenarios, but does not involve complex calculations or rare exceptions.

Common CUET Traps

• Trap: Confusing problem-focused and emotion-focused coping based on intensity of emotion rather than controllability of stressor.
  Avoid: Match coping strategy to whether the stressor can be changed—problem-focused for controllable, emotion-focused for uncontrollable.
• Trap: Attributing all stress to major life events while ignoring daily hassles.
  Avoid: Remember that daily hassles (e.g., noise, queues) have cumulative impact and are significant sources of chronic stress.
• Trap: Assuming the alarm stage of GAS is the longest phase.
  Avoid: Alarm is immediate but short-lived; resistance lasts longer, and exhaustion follows prolonged stress.

Practice MCQs

1. Question: Which hormone is primarily released during the alarm stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome?
   
   A. Insulin
   
   B. Cortisol
   
   C. Adrenaline
   
   D. Melatonin
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Adrenaline (epinephrine) is released from the adrenal medulla during the alarm stage to prepare the body for fight or flight.
   Why others fail: Cortisol (B) is more associated with the resistance stage, making it a tempting but incorrect choice.

2. Question: According to Lazarus and Folkman, what type of coping is used when an individual seeks emotional support after a breakup?
   
   A. Problem-focused coping
   
   B. Avoidant coping
   
   C. Emotion-focused coping
   
   D. Cognitive restructuring
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Emotion-focused coping involves managing emotional responses when the stressor is uncontrollable, such as seeking comfort.
   Why others fail: Problem-focused coping (A) is tempting if one assumes action is always better, but breakup recovery often relies on emotional regulation.

3. Question: Which of the following is a characteristic of the exhaustion stage of GAS?
   
   A. Increased alertness and energy
   
   B. Optimal immune function
   
   C. Depletion of physiological resources
   
   D. Initial activation of the sympathetic nervous system
   Answer: C
   Explanation: The exhaustion stage involves depletion of energy reserves and increased vulnerability to illness due to prolonged stress.
   Why others fail: Option A describes the alarm stage, which students may confuse with early signs of stress response.

4. Question: The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) measures stress based on:
   
   A. Daily hassles frequency
   
   B. Major life events and their impact
   
   C. Workplace role ambiguity
   
   D. Academic performance pressure
   Answer: B
   Explanation: SRRS quantifies stress based on major life events like marriage or job loss, assigning Life Change Units (LCUs).
   Why others fail: Daily hassles (A) are measured by a different scale (Hassles Scale), making this a common mix-up.

5. Question: A student fails a test and decides to create a study schedule and seek tutoring. This is an example of:
   
   A. Emotion-focused coping
   
   B. Avoidant coping
   
   C. Problem-focused coping
   
   D. Denial
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Problem-focused coping involves taking direct action to change the stressful situation, such as improving study methods.
   Why others fail: Emotion-focused coping (A) is tempting because failure causes emotional distress, but the action taken targets the problem, not emotions.

Last-Minute Revision

• ⚠️ General Adaptation Syndrome has three stages: alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
• ⚠️ Alarm stage: Sympathetic nervous system activates; adrenaline and noradrenaline released.
• ⚠️ Resistance stage: Cortisol remains elevated; body tries to adapt.
• ⚠️ Exhaustion stage: Resources depleted; risk of illness increases.
• ⚠️ Lazarus and Folkman: Stress depends on cognitive appraisal.
• ⚠️ Primary appraisal: Is the event stressful? (Harm, threat, challenge)
• ⚠️ Secondary appraisal: What can I do about it?
• ⚠️ Problem-focused coping = for controllable stressors.
• ⚠️ Emotion-focused coping = for uncontrollable stressors.
• ⚠️ Daily hassles: Minor irritations with cumulative stress effect.
• ⚠️ SRRS = Holmes and Rahe, 1967, measures major life events.
• ⚠️ High LCU score (>300) = high stress risk. Verify from NCERT.
• ⚠️ Workplace stress: Role conflict, overload, job insecurity.
• ⚠️ Academic stress: Exam pressure, performance anxiety.
• ⚠️ Chronic stress weakens immune system.
• ⚠️ Biofeedback: Teaches control over heart rate, blood pressure.
• ⚠️ Relaxation techniques: Deep breathing, meditation, PMR.
• ⚠️ Social support buffers stress impact.
• ⚠️ PTSD: Follows trauma; symptoms include flashbacks, avoidance.
• ⚠️ Mnemonic: GAS = "Alert, Sustain, Exhaust" for alarm, resistance, exhaustion.