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Effects of stress on academic performance of students
Effects of stress on academic performance of students
Effects of stress on academic performance of students
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People are exposed to numerous amounts of positive and negative events throughout their lifetime. No one is given a life that is perfect or free from difficulty. Whether it is a death in the family, chronic illness, house fire, automobile accident, or any other type of impacting event, stressors are bound to occur throughout one’s life. Since people are constantly exposed to stressors in life, it is essential that one is able to adequately cope. There are three types of responses to stress. The first is the positive stress response, which is a normal and brief response to stress and is characterized by a mild increase in heart rate (“Toxic Stress,” 2017). One example of a positive stress response could be the slight apprehension one feels before …show more content…
Research has shown that children who are at highest risk for toxic stress are those exposed to social isolation, poverty, family violence, and parents with substance abuse or depression (Franke, 2014). If adults and authority figures can identify toxic stress in children during the early stages, measures can be taken to prevent the harmful effects that are associated with this high stress level. Treatment of toxic stress should be aimed towards helping children learn to deal with stress in a healthy manner and responding to the child’s needs (Franke, 2014). Providing children with a strong support system is crucial so children have an outlet to communicate with and receive advice on healthy coping mechanisms. Examples of a buffering support system could be a parent, relative, social worker, or counselor. Recent research has also found that treatment of toxic stress can occur through teaching relaxation methods such as breathing techniques and guided imagery (Franke, 2014). It may also be beneficial to focus on the caretaker of the child by providing educational opportunities regarding toxic stress and by administering social resources for the parents, such as parenting classes to help with problem solving skills (Franke, 2014). It is also important that the nation as a whole raise awareness of the issue of toxic stress and provide schools, …show more content…
I do feel I had the opportunity to experience toxic stress, but I was lucky enough to have a strong support system during the most difficult times in my life to help buffer my experiences. I feel that I have really only exhibited a tolerable stress response in my life. I believe my life was shaken up the most when my parents divorced. I was only ten years old when it happened. After the divorce, my whole world started to shift. My mother went through a depression and spent time in multiple rehab centers. My siblings and I were forced to go live with my grandparents for a little while and had to change schools. The shakeup in my environment left me going through my middle school years with uncertainty and an inconsistent routine. I was always wondering which parent would pick me up from school, who would I live with each weekend, and which church I would be attending on Sundays. It was an extremely stressful situation and definitely had the potential to cause toxic stress in my life. I feel that my grandparents were the reason this situation did not progress to toxic stress in my life. My grandparents were my solid rock during that season in my life. My grandparents were always available, even when I did not know if I could count on my own parents. My grandparents gave me so much love and support and let me talk through all my feelings with them. I firmly believe they are the ones who got me
Adrenaline and glucocorticoids are critical to survival. Animals’ stress responses turn off after escaping from life-threatening situations. However, humans’ stress response come from a psychological state of fear or threat. We are often stressed out due to traffic, increasing taxes, instead of actual life-or-death situations. What’s worse, we are stressed constantly. Since we cannot
In the past thirty years there have been a significant number of studies done to establish a connection between psychological stress and the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD refers to the negative change towards the normal process of the heart and blood vessel system (What Is Cardiovascular Disease (Heart Disease)?, online). Psychological stress is defined, but not limited to being a demanding condition in which the normal behavioral conditions are exceeded thus overwhelming the behavioral resources of the organism (Kamarck, 2012). In the world today it has been shown that the impacts of psychological, social, and environmental stressors from daily lives are increasing the physical well being of individuals. Two different types of stressors can attain cardiovascular responses: "acute major life stressors and chronic exposure to continuing stressors" (Dimsdale, 2008). A stressor is any condition which causes stress on an individual. One may be exposed to acute stressors during periods of intense stress that are not regular to one’s lifestyle. Those who are exposed to constant chronic stressors are at an increased risk for hypertension, atherosclerosis, and stroke (Hojt, online). The increased levels of psychological stress present in individuals lives is providing for alarm due to the direct correlation it has with risk for cardiovascular disease.
Everyone everywhere has experienced stress with something they have dealt with in life. Whether it is school, paying bills, managing a busy schedule or work, stress affects everyone. Although everyone experiences stress, many people don’t actually know what stress is. Stress is the physical response of the body to harmful situations that threaten someone’s well being. When someone says “stress”, the word is automatically associated with a negative effect on people but small doses of stress can benefit a person, if used to correctly. Everyone’s stress level is different and the amount of stress that can be handled varies from person to person but a stress overload will not benefit anyone. “When you feel threatened, a chemical reaction occurs in your body to allow you to act in a way to prevent injury” (“Stress Management Health Center”). The chemical that is released when stressed is known as cortisol, also known a stress hormone. “Cortisol is like a long-term form of adrenaline, produced in the adrenal gland when the body is under pressure” (“The Effects of Stress on Your Reproductive Health and Fertility”). Adrenaline is also released to send the body into, what is known as, emergency action (“Stress Symptoms, Signs and Causes”). This emergency action speeds up reactions preformed by the body and the mind. This is a way of protecting the body. While in emergency action, this stress caused by threatening situations can save your life. In emergency situations, you are given “extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on your brakes to avoid a car accident” (“Stress Management Health Center”). Signs of being in this emergency action are a racing heart, blood pressure rises, quickening of breath and tigh...
Pressure turns into stress when individuals feel they are unable to cope with the situation. People have different ways of reacting to stress, so a situation that feels stressful to one person may be a positive challenge to someone else. Many of life’s demands can cause stress such as work, relationships and financial issues. When individuals feel stressed, it can obstruct them from dealing with demands, or can affect everything an individual does (Choices, 2016d). Stress can have a big impact both emotionally and physically. There are two ways people can portray signs of stress, psychological and physiological. Stress can affect how individuals feel, think, behave and how the body works. Psychological signs of stress can include: irritation, frustration, confusion, forgetfulness, anxiety, bad habits, headaches, behavioural signs of stress which can include avoiding others or decreased contact with family or friends and depression. Physiological signs of stress can include: heart palpitations, inflammation, insomnia physical tension, headaches and digestive problems. These stress hormones are released to enable an individual to deal with pressure or threat of "fight or flight" response. The theorist Walter Cannon 1920 developed the fight or flight response also known as ‘acute stress response.’ Stress is a biological and psychological response experienced when faced with a threat that people do not have the resources to deal with. The flight or flight response is a surge of hormone; adrenaline which is produced by glands located in the kidneys, which are released into the bloodstream. It is the response of the sympathetic nervous system to a stressful event and therefore, preparing the body to fight or flee. This can include an increased metabolism and heart rate, increase blood flow to the brain and muscles, erect hairs, raised sugar levels,
Children experience decreased development in the left brain when traumatic events occur (Network, n.d.). Imagine being a child and growing up with these types of events occurring. A traumatic event in a child’s life can cause a child to experience a long lasting negative effect. Life events are happening everywhere and more often in the lives of children (Understanding Child Traumatic Stress, n.d.). Trauma can cause them to do three things. First, they try to see what the danger is and how serious it is. Secondly there are strong emotional and physical reactions. Thirdly they attempt to come up with what to do that can help them with the danger. Traumatic events can cause a child to develop differently, which effects the young child stage,
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Each bodily physiological system has an individual established set point, or level of balance; however, some fluctuations in these levels are tolerated. The balance of any system can be, and regularly is, disturbed by internal and/or external events of the mechanical, physical, chemical, biological, and/or social types. When this balance is disrupted, and involuntary mobilizations of biological processes are not able to re-establish it, an alarm reaction is activated (Schedlowski and Tewes, 1999). This reaction is referred to as a stress response, and the activating agent is the stressor (Selye, 1936). Recently, studies of stress have shifted from demonstrating relationships between psychological factors and somatic outcomes, to investigations of the mediational pathways involved in these associations. For example, (Cohen and Williamson, 1991) have built on the work of Lazarus’ model by suggesting that once an environmental event is encountered, it is appraised, and an affective response is made.
The term ‘stress’ was generally thought to have been a concept created by Robert Hooke in the 17th century. He worked on the design of physical structures, such as bridges; his concept of stress came from how much pressure a structure could withstand. However, Lazarus (1993) pointed out that the term ‘stress’ has been used as far back as the 14th century, when it meant hardship or adversity. Back then it referred to the external stressor, such as the death of a spouse or financial worry; in the 20th century, there are many different schools of thought on this area. Hans Selye (1956), brought together the work of Cannon and Bernard and devised a comprehensive system of physiological stress; which he termed the ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’, and is a 3-stage process. He theorised that a certain level of stress called ‘eustress’ (Cox, 1978) could actually be beneficial to our overall performance. Later In 1976, Cox & Mackay devised another model called the ‘Transactional model’. This model takes into account the individual differences in the perception of the amount of stress experienced by the person. The main difference between these two models is that Selye’s model only accounts for the physiological side of stress, whereas Cox’s model takes into account both the physiological and psychological aspects of stress. Therefore, both models will have slight similarities and differences in their explanation for how stress occurs in individuals, which is the main focus of this essay.
To consider stress as an epidemic in contemporary society, one must understand what stress is, how it is caused, and how it manifests itself in the quality of lives. Early recognition of stress came by way of a young medical student known as Hans Selye, who observed identical emotional symptoms and signs in patients, although they suffered from differing physical conditions (Rosch, n.d.). Rosch (n.d.) explains that it was investigation of this appearance of ‘general sickness’ that led Selye to develop the theory that chronic stress causes long-term chemical changes in the body, thus identifying stress as a major cause of disease. Stress, usually considered to be a negative feeling, is the body’s reaction to per...
NCBI. (2007, December 1). Stress in Children and Adolescents Exposed to Family Violence: I. Overview and Issues. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2811337/
The human body has different ways of responding to stress; one quick responding nerve-hormonal system involving adrenaline, another long-lasting system involving cortisol, and perhaps others. These systems not only determine the intensity of our anxiety reactions but also our attitudes, energy level, depression, and physical health after the stressful events are over. As individuals, our nervous systems differ; however, according to Richard Dienstbier at the University of Nebraska, we may be able to modify our unique physiological reactions by learning coping skills. The genetic, constitutional, and intrauterine factors influence stress. Some of us may have been born "nerv...
There are many parents whose negative patterns of behavior are consistent and dominant within a child’s life. These are parents who do the harm. The term “Toxic Parents” is similar to a chemical toxin: the emotional, physical, or sexual damage inflicted spreads throughout the child’s being and as the child grows, so does that pain. Being a victim of physical and emotional abuse is not the ...
When stressful events occur three types of responses take place, an emotional response, a physiological response, and a behavioral response. Negative emotional responses such as anxiety, anger, and grief are common responses to stress. However, in some cases, an individual may exhibit positive emotions when coping with stressful situations. According to Folkman and Moskowiz, positive emotions promote resilience in the face of stress by promoting creativity, problem solving, flexibility, and can enhance physical and psychological health (Weiten & Lloyd, 2006, p. 84).
One of the most obvious and damaging results of child abuse is death; however, research illustrating the effects on a growing child who has been abused has demonstrated many other lifelong negative factors (Felitti, Anda, Nordenberg, Williamson, Spitz, Edwards, Koss, Marks, 1998). In consonance children who suffer from abuse can show signs of depression, social withdraw, and even violent behavior. As a child grows older, they may suffer from poor physical health, such as high blood pressure, obesity, stress, and psychological disorders and disabilities (Herronkohl, T., Hong, Klika, and Herronkohl, R., 2013). Child abuse and neglect have also been associated with depression, anger disorders, and post-traumatic
Stressors initiate a response within the organism and causes changes in the body, specifically responses in the body’s autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system has two branches: the sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic autonomic nervous system helps the body deal with the stress it encounters, initiating the ‘fight or flight’ response. Once the threat has passed, the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system will take over, relaxing the body. There is a balance between these two in a healthy person. However, when someone stays on guard, using the sympathetic autonomic nervous system, all sorts of physical effects can
When people think of stress, they usually think of all the times they were put on the spot and felt anxious, e.g., when they were late to an exam or late to pay their bills. However, eustress is what is known as “good stress.” It is the effect of positive reactions within a person related to stress that people need to promote their health and well-being (O'Sullivan, 2011). For example, when having a baby, it can be very stressful but exciting time in one’s life. Then, there is distress which is the effect of unpleasant and undesirable stressors. Nevertheless, people rarely feel eustress day to day. Distress takes the cake because it is felt much more often than eustress. Stress, in general, could come from many places, such as dealing with difficult college work to going through a family crisis.