Question

Part 3

Recently, Janina was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Her mother died from a heart attack when she was 55 years old, so it was stressful for Janina when the doctor told her that she had developed high blood pressure. She panicked a bit at first, because she feared that she would experience a heart attack at a young age and potentially leave her family behind, struggling without her. However, as a physician she knew that high blood pressure could be managed through medication and lifestyle changes. She also felt confident that her family would support her in making the lifestyle changes she would need to reduce her blood pressure. She spoke with her partner and they came up with a plan for how to make sustainable changes to the whole family’s diet. Once she and her partner had a clear plan, she found that her diagnosis didn’t scare her quite a much, but rather she felt that it was a problem that they could solve together.    

Question 6

Apply Lazarus’ Transactional Model to explain Janina’s experience of stress related to her diagnosis. Be sure to clearly address primary appraisal, secondary appraisal, behavioral and cognitive coping responses, and reappraisal.

Question 7

Use the diathesis-stress model to explain why Janina may have developed high blood pressure. In your answer refer to specific information from the scenarios that are relevant. You may use information from any or all 3 parts of the scenario in your answer.

8)

In the question below there are several explanations for how/why Janina developed high blood pressure. Match the explanation to the correct model. Janina had a genetic predisposition to cardiovascular diseases which interacted with the stress that she experiences associated with work, home life, and prejudice and discrimination to contribute to her developing high blood pressure. ( Indirect Effect Hypothesis / Immunosuppression Model/ Direct Effect Hypothesis/ Minority Stress Model/ Diathesis-Stress Model )

9)

Stress causes the release of hormones that increase blood pressure. The chronic stress that Janina experiences associated with work, home life, and prejudice and discrimination cause chronically high levels of these hormones and increased blood pressure.

10)

Janina's chronically high level of stress affects her eating and sleeping behaviors. She frequently eats fast foods because of time pressures, and she consumes large amounts of caffeine to counter the effects of disrupted sleep. The fast food and caffeine, in turn, contributed to her developing high blood pressure.

Answer 1

Lazarus’ Transactional Model

Primary appraisal – (significance of the situation) The situation is of considerable significance. The health problem of Janina could result in an unexpected departing similar to her mother. Janina fears that her family might undergo the same sufferings she underwent post her mother’s death.

Secondary appraisal – (coping up and identification of resources) Janina is a physician and her knowledge about self and the effect of life style that induces high blood pressure as well as the methods to keep the medical condition at check, are her resources. Besides these, she has a family and her family partner helps her in managing the medical condition.

Behavioral and cognitive coping responses - (coping up with the medical condition) Janina with the support of her partner and family made the life style changes necessary to keep the medical condition under check.

Reappraisal – (Long term solution) Being a physician, with her expertise, having receiving the support from family, having made the necessary changes in the life style (likes of walking, food habit, etc.) Janina feels confident of her mind and body and believes that the high blood pressure isn’t a life threat. Hence, she adapted herself to a new life – the new behavior, where she has to stay focused to avoid the troubles from high blood pressure.

Diathesis-stress model

Janina lost her mother when she was young due to the medical condition or complication of the medical condition high blood pressure. Janina had to manage a very stressful life due to the absence of mother. This could have loaded her with a lot of stress. She was able to negate the stress, learn become a physician and find an understanding partner as well as make a happy family. But the long exposure to the stress during her childhood days should have taken a toll on her body, resulting in the high blood pressure.

Question: Stress causes the release of hormones that increase blood pressure. The chronic stress that Janina experiences associated with work, home life, and prejudice and discrimination cause chronically high levels of these hormones and increased blood pressure.

Answer: Diathesis –stress model

Question: Janina's chronically high level of stress affects her eating and sleeping behaviors. She frequently eats fast foods because of time pressures, and she consumes large amounts of caffeine to counter the effects of disrupted sleep. The fast food and caffeine, in turn, contributed to her developing high blood pressure.

Answer: Indirect effect Hypothesis