| CODE | PLC5780 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Stress and Coping | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Pastoral Theology, Liturgy and Canon Law | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Stress is a universal experience, yet it does not affect everyone the same way. This unit explores how stress affects individuals and the process by which individuals cope with stress. The goal of this unit is to give an in-depth understanding of the theoretical and empirical work on stress, such as dealing with negative life events, psychosocial, psycho spiritual and physiological stress, together with the skills of coping, and the art of enhancing resilience. The unit will be taught from both the perspective of clinical psychology and positive psychology and will cover factors like gratitude, being optimistic, reaching social support, and harnessing self-efficacy. Study-unit Aims: To explore definitions of stress and approaches to managing it. The unit is tailored to foster creative thinking about how psychosocial, spiritual and physiological systems interact to produce stress and affect health; and to investigate critically different interventions aimed at managing stress. The learning activities of the unit are both theoretical and experiential. The class will offer an introduction to a wide array of stress management strategies, to give students both breadth and depth. The goal of this unit is to provide a clear understanding of how a variety of factors including biology, emotions, personality, lifestyle, cultural and environment continually interact in a dynamic process creating health and disease. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 鈥� Analyse the effects, mechanisms and performance consequences of the stress process; 鈥� Explain and evaluate the role of self-regulation and its influence on coping with stress to maintain performance; 鈥� Examine the interaction between relevant individual differences and coping strategies; 鈥� Evaluate the evidence of interventions that impact on response to stress and/or that enhance coping skills. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 鈥� Appreciate the multifaceted nature of the human experience of stress, in terms of its, biological, psychological and cultural underpinning; 鈥� Understand various pathways of cognition and behaviour through which our own and those around us, will influence and create the stress processes; 鈥� Have a better grasp on stress, and stress related symptoms; 鈥� Follow techniques learnt in class, while being able to fully appreciate the difficulties and complexities in helping others in coping with stress. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: MAIN TEXT - Aldwin, C. M., Stress, Coping and Development: An Integrative Perspective (New York: The Guilford Press, 2007). - Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., & Weintraub, J. K. 鈥淎ssessing Coping Strategies: A Theoretically Based Approach,鈥� Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 56(2) (1989): 267-283. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.56.2.267 - Chao, R. C., 鈥淢anaging Stress and Maintaining Well-Being: Social Support, Problem-Focused Coping, and Avoidant Coping,鈥� Journal of Counseling and Development, 89 (2011): 338-348. - Collins, D, Button, A., & Richanrds, H., Performance Psychology: A Practitioner鈥檚 Guide (London: Elsevier, 2011). - Edwards, D. & Burnard, P., 鈥淎 Systematic Review of Stress and Stress Management Interventions for Mental Health Nurses,鈥� Journal of Advanced Nursing 42 (2), (2003): 169-200. - Ferguson, J. K., Willemsen, E. W., & Casta帽eto, M. V., 鈥淐entering Prayer as a Healing Response to Everyday Stress: A Psychological and Spiritual Process,鈥� Pastoral Psychology 59 (2010): 305-329. - Folkman, S., 鈥淪tress, Coping, and Hope,鈥� Psycho-Oncology19 (2010): 901-908. - Gallagher, M. W., & Lopez, S. J., 鈥淧ositive Expectancies and Mental Health: Identifying the Unique Contributions of Hope and Optimism,鈥� The Journal of Positive Psychology 4(6) (2009): 548-556. - Hillenberg, J. B., & DiLorenzo, T. M., 鈥淪tress Management Training in Health Psychology Practice: Critical Clinical Issues,鈥� Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 18(4) (1987): 402-404. - Lupien, S. J., McEwen, B. S., Gunnar, M. R., & Heim, C., 鈥淓ffects of Stress Throughout the Lifespan on the Brain, Behavior and Cognition,鈥� Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10 (2009): 434-445. - Schaufeli, W. B., 鈥淭he Future of Occupational Health Psychology,鈥� Applied Psychology: An International Review 53(4) (2004): 502-517. - Schwabe, L., Dickinson, A., & Wolf, O. T., 鈥淪tress, Habits, and Drug Addiction: A Psychoneuroendocrinological Perspective,鈥� Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology 19(1) (2011): 53-63. - Seifried, H. E., 鈥淥xidative Stress and Antioxidants: A Link to Disease and Prevention?,鈥� The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 18(3) (2006): 168-171. - Smith, T. W., & Suls, J., 鈥淚ntroduction to the Special Section on the Future of Health Psychology,鈥� Health Psychology 23(2) (2004): 115-118. - Stokenberga, I., 鈥淗umorous Personality: Relationship to Stress and Well-Being,鈥� Baltic Journal of Psychology 9 (1,2) (2008): 70-84. - Wilson, D. R., & Warise, L., 鈥淐ytokines and Their Role in Depression,鈥� Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 44(4) (2008): 285-289. SUPPLEMENTARY READING - Goh, Y.W., Sawang, S., & P.S. Oei, 鈥淭he Revised Transactional Model (RTM) of Occupational Stress and Coping: An Improved Process Approach,鈥� Australian & New Zealand Journal of Organisational Psychology 3(1) (2010): 13-20. - Kraft, P., & Yardley, L., 鈥淐urrent Issues and New Directions in Psychology and Health: What is the Future of Digital Interventions for Health Behavior Change?,鈥� Psychology and Health, 24(6) (2009): 615-618. - Lehrer, P., 鈥淧rinciples and Practice of Stress Management: Advances in the Field,鈥� Biofeedback 35(3) (2007): 82-84. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | |||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Paul Galea Dunstan Rev Xuereb |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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