By Elijah Powell
By Unsplash
The prevalence of chronic stress
Academic Stress is among the most prevalent issues a student will face. In this paper we will discuss the neurobiological implications of prolonged stress and the efficacy of different coping strategies. Academic stress is associated with poor mental and physical health, a poor work life balance, and even less than poor academic outcomes. If not managed correctly stress can quickly become chronic and lead to burnout. Academic stress is unavoidable but when stress becomes chronic, the implications it can have on our health can be detrimental.
Keywords: Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis, Stressor, Prefrontal cortex, amygdala, Acute stress, Chronic Stress, Personality type response, Dendritic atrophy.
A redistribution of vital resources
Stress management is important because cortisol spikes can lead to higher blood pressure and use more of the body's resources as your sympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive in order to protect you from perceived danger. Acute stress can lead to things like executive dysfunction and anxiety, while also hindering the development of the prefrontal cortex. Chronic Stress has also been associated, migraines, poor gut health, and even diabetes. The stress response is the body's way to preserve itself, so the reallocation of resources to do that is automatic and during this process the prefrontal cortex is not utilized, because of this resources going to it are restricted when we are exposed to stress. When stress reaches chronic levels this results in the shrinkages of connections between brain cells in the prefrontal cortex because of the consistent restriction of vital resources. This process is called dendritic atrophy and it leads to numerous other structural and functional deficits of the prefrontal cortex such as impairments in the cognitive abilities of planning, problem solving, and emotional regulation.
A multifaceted biological response
One of the biological processes that happens when someone is exposed to a stressor is the activation of the Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal Axis(HPA), this is commonly referred to as the stress “response system”. This process happens after sensory receptors send signals to the hypothalamus. The Hypothalamus is the neurobiological structure responsible for the relay of information to other areas of the brain and body. This process results in the activation of your adrenal glands, adrenaline then binds to cells in the bloodstream, which leads to the redistribution of your biological resources as your body attempts to maintain homeostasis. The hypothalamus activates a multifaceted neurobiological process that reallocates the body’s resources; this reallocation can be harmful if we reach chronic stress levels. Stress is an automatic response however, how quickly we can deactivate this response by identifying stressors as they arise so we can deal with them more appropriately.
Associative Memory Consolidation
This hypothalamic response also activates the amygdala, by creating an association that ensures you can protect yourself appropriately when you are exposed to the same danger in the future. The problem that arises from this association, is that initially we have very little control over these associations, this means often we can fall victim to immense stress after we receive a bad text or during an exam. The most effective strategies to cope with stress then become the activation of the prefrontal cortex which can inhibit the amygdala. The activation of the prefrontal cortex lets you take control over the automatic stress responses.
Personality type response
Studies show that people who have personality types that are higher in conscientiousness and lower in neuroticism, utilize more effective coping mechanisms when dealing with stress. Taking even a few seconds to evaluate the quality of your work or severity of a given situation is advantageous when dealing with stress. This means exercising your decision making skills and gaining more confidence during a stressful situation lowers stress levels.
Exercise’s implications on emotional regulation
Another study shows that exercise can be effective for managing stress, by helping a person regulate their emotions. The study followed more than fourteen thousand undergraduate students, and led to the results of 45% of students choosing exercise to manage their frustration and feelings of being overwhelmed.
MCR committee: Psychopathology
Works Cited
McEwen, B. S. (2017). Neurobiological and systemic effects of chronic stress. Chronic Stress, 1, 2470547017692328. https://doi.org/10.1177/2470547017692328
Varo, C., Aires-González, M. D. M., García-Jiménez, M., Trigo, M. E., & Cano-García, F. J. (2023). Effective Coping with Academic Stress Is a Matter of Personality Types: Revisiting the Person-Centered Approach. Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 13(8), 687. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13080687
Hamed, R., Duval, C., Adrian, A., Almonte, S., Carroll, M., Gayle, J., Kalik, J., Kashanian, Y., Patel, M., Piskin, J., & Quintin, D. (2023). Exercise and coping mechanisms in graduate occupational therapy students during the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest period: A descriptive study. International Journal of Educational Reform, 32(3), 269–278. https://doi.org/10.1177/10567879231169709