Managing and coping with stress

Describe and evaluate the role of social support in coping with stress.

Outline one limitation of the use of drug therapy in the treatment of stress.

Using an example of each, explain the difference between instrumental support and emotional support.

Evaluate drug therapy as a way of managing stress.

Beth and Oscar both experience stress. Beth worries a lot about her family whereas Oscar thinks about how to solve problems at work. Each of them has developed strategies for managing and coping with their stress. Oscar asks his friends for practical help, whereas Beth relies on her friends to cheer her up with positive comments.

Discuss gender differences and the role of social support in coping with stress. Refer to Oscar and Beth in your answer.

Nadine has a busy job and is very stressed most of the time. When she thinks about work at night she feels her heart pounding very fast. She often feels anxious and is experiencing frequent headaches.

Explain how a biofeedback therapist might help Nadine manage her stress.

Name one type of drug used to treat stress and briefly outline how it functions.

Briefly outline one therapy used to manage stress.

Wally worries about work. He lies awake at night worrying that he is not good enough for the job and does not want to go to work in the morning. He thinks that his workmates laugh at him and gets embarrassed when they try to talk to him. He avoids his supervisor because he thinks that his supervisor will tell him off for not working hard enough.

Describe stress inoculation therapy as a way of managing stress and explain how Wally’s stress could be managed using stress inoculation.

Briefly discuss one strength and one limitation of stress inoculation therapy as a way of managing stress.