Reference no: EM13121734 , Length: 1908 Words

Abnormal Psychology Final Assessment

This assessment will provide you with an opportunity to:

• Address an identified audience (mental health clients).
• Personalize the task (make the information, examples and information you provide useful for the clients).
• Provide an explanation on your own, not simply recall; to link specific facts with larger ideas, in this case, STRESS.
• Effectively use and adapt what you know and research in diverse and real contexts.

• Rework the information you research.

• Transfer the information you research into client friendly and useful information regarding the topic (stress) and not a textbook version of the information. 
Format: 

• Title page including title and student name
• To facilitate client use, provide a table of contents

• Bibliography - Document all resources used (as this is a research assessment, materials other than the required text will be used).
• Minimum 7 pages of material (title page, table of contents and bibliography not included in 7 pages)

• # the pages

• This compendium of information is designed for client use. Please label all information and provide an Introduction and Conclusion

• Provide information in full sentences
• Clearly label and distinguish between the 6 areas below

Please note the College's Late Submission Protocol as stated on the course calendar and in the Announcements section of the course site. Students are responsible for meeting all course deadlines with respect to assignments, projects, and assessments/examinations. Assignments are due on the date specified on the course calendar and in the format indicated in assignment descriptions.

All late assignments will be subjected to an immediate 20% penalty. The student may submit the work within five days of the due date with a 20% penalty per day. After five days the assignment will not be accepted and a mark of zero will be recorded.
In cases of a medical or compassionate issue which prevents the student from submitting an assignment, the facilitator is to be informed prior to the scheduled date by email and accompanying documentation may be required in order for the assignment to be rescheduled. 

Please also note that this final assessment can be submitted at any time during the course, prior to the due date (early submissions are always welcomed).
How do you define stress? Is stress something in the environment? Is it a physiological or psychological reaction that occurs within a person? Most psychologists define stress as the physiological and psychological response to a condition that threatens or challenges the individual and requires some form of adaptation or adjustment. While stress is a psychological state, it can significantly increase one's risk of developing serious illnesses. The prognosis is even worse when people's feelings of stress are combined with unhealthy behaviours, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption or lack of sleep. Unfortunately, as we become more stressed, we may use some of these unhealthy behaviours as stress relievers or we may attempt to reduce stress by staying up late and waking up early to get things done. In situations such as these, our behaviours and our mental states work synergistically to drag us into an unhealthy cycle.

As a mental health specialist, you have been asked to develop an Intervention Action Plan for client information and distribution. You are expected to research this information using sources other than your text (although your text may prove to be a useful starting point). In this research compendium/portfolio you will include the following sections:
1 Stress: This section can introduce the concept of stress. Define and discuss the following professional terminology that might better client understanding: Health psychology; Stress; Stressors; Acute stress; Chronic Stress; Environmental psychology; Eustress, and; Distress

2 The Stress Response System: We all perceive stressors differently and each of us has our own strategies for coping with stress. Having said this, we all have very similar immediate psychological responses to stress. In this section, please include client-friendly information on the Fight or Flight Response, the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) and any Alternative Stress Responses that you might discover.

3 Stressful Life Events: In our lives we encounter stress in varying forms and degrees of severity. Clients may be surprised to discover that the cumulative impact of what we perceive to be minor stressor may be just as significant as the impact of one large-scale event. In this section, provide information (define and explain the how these events relate to and affect stress levels) on the following areas to better client understanding: Catastrophes (include Post-traumatic Stress); Burnout; Significant Life Changes, and; Daily Hassles. 

4 Stress and Its Impact on Health: Just as laughter can improve our health, stress can cause our health to deteriorate. Use this section to inform clients of following: Stress and the Heart, Stress and the Immune System, Stress and HIV/AIDS, Stress and Cancer and, Stress and Somatoform Disorders.

5 Coping with Stress: Take a moment and think about it: How do you cope with stress? Everybody has a different answer. There are many coping strategies that can be useful. In this section explore, explain and provide examples of the following: Coping; Anticipatory Coping (worries react to stressors before they are even a reality); Problem-focused coping (a response aimed at reducing, modifying or eliminating a source of stress) and Emotion-focused coping (a response aimed at reducing the emotional impact of the stressor).

6 Stress Management: Use this section to equip clients with hands on, useful information they may use to manage stress. Please use this section to explore the different options available in the management of stress. Include and discuss the benefits of: Social Support; Exercise, Relaxation and Meditation. Your research may provide you with additional techniques, please include them here.