CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The term stress is used to describe the physical and emotional strain one can display as
a direct response to pressure from the outside world. The pressure and consequence
response can be acute (short) or chronic (long). Almost anything can create stress
situation, and stress is not always in negative format. Some people thrive off stress and
are motivated by new challenges. The problem lies when the level of stress exceeds the
person's ability to cope.
Psychologist have different views on the concept of stress, Selye (1956) defined stress
as the nonspecific response of the body to any demand and in (1936) he went on and
used the term (stress) to describe what happen when an organism was exposed to a
noxious stimulus. The stimulus based or external model looks at stress as external
stimuli that perpetrate destructive force upon the organism.
Illness is the state of poor health and stress is the term use to describe the physical and
psychological response to demand from the environment. Psychologist and other health
professionals have argued the relationship between stress and illness and there is
conclusive evidence to support these arguments. Hans Selye (1930) study the body's
response to stress using his experiment on rats; he finds repetitive exposure to stressor
reduces the body's ability to fight illness. Selye argue that humans and other animals
respond to different psychological and physical scenario with the same physiological
activation. (The general Adaptation syndrome).
The body response to stress in two ways: an eustress scenario will lead to the release
of hormones 'the fight or flight'. However when a scenario becomes stressful leading to
a state of distress, the body will reach exhaustion that will leads to hormones reserve
been fragile, which will undermined the body immune system leading to stress related
conditions such as high blood pressure, ulcers and depression.
There are number of ways stress can affect the human immune system; it can cause
the release of ACTH from the pituitary gland leading to the release of inflammatory
hormones that will inhibit the functions of white blood cells.
Glaser and Kiecolt-Glaser 2005 argued that even brief period of stress such as school
exams can lead to a significant suppression to the our immune system.
Another model psychologist used to link stress and illness is through behaviour; such as
morals and social behaviour of a group of people. Culture for instance look at not the
people them self but their mode of interactions. It has been suggested that these
learned mode of interactions may influence individual's responses to stress. People who
work shift patterns for instance having to adjust one body clock to another will result in
considerable stress related accident at work. Czeisler, Moore-Ede, and Coleman 1992
found that manual shift work in industrial settings in Utah, USA correlated with raised
accident rate, absenteeism and chronic feelings of ill health. They went on to argue that
sleep deprivation reduce work capacity and are responsible for majority of heavy goods
vehicles accident that happens between 4am and 7am.
Psychologist have also argued on the relationship between stress and stomach ulcer; a
supporting evidence was first introduced by Brady 1958, Brady's studied the relationship
between high level of stress and high level of hormone production that eventually leads
to stomach ulcer. In his experiment he placed monkeys in a restraining chairs order and
conditioned them to press a lever, giving them shocks every 20 seconds unless the
lever was press at the same time. The monkeys did die; however, post-mortem showed
they died from stomach ulcer caused by an increase in the level of gastrointestinal
hormones presumably caused by the high level of stress. Sceptics however, have
argued on the reasonability of generalizing an experiment on monkeys and relating it to
humans.

Background of the study

A substantial amount of research has been done to prove the correlation

between stress and physical illness. Those research proves that stress is a large
contributor to both the onset and progression of both physical and mental illnesses.
Walter Cannon first confirmed the stress response system in the late 1920s. His
observations and research proved that certain stressors such as lack of oxygen,
extreme cold and emotional incidents all lead to the release of stress hormones.

It is important to remember that not all stress is bad for the body or mind. Many
Psychologists have found that not all stress is bad. Stress can help motivation, problem
solving, and the fighting of infections. Even the most stressful situations such as
surviving Cancer can have a positive effect on peoples lives. Some Cancer survivors
emerge with a newfound spirituality or stronger self-esteem because of the stress they
endured and then conquered. A personal battle with long-term health problems can be
very difficult and stressful; however some individuals start to develop a new self-worth
and new dreams and desires because of it. When someone survives an illness or life-
threatening situation more times than not a person will take life less serious and live
everyday thankful to be alive. This attitude is what helps most survivors deal with the
situation that has arose in their lives.

Conceptual framework

INPUT PROCESS
OUTPUT
1. How the stress does Effect knowing the
affects teens physical relationship of stress and
health? Survey Questionnaire physicsl illness
2. Where does the stress of
senior high school students Descriptive method a. Get appropriate
experiencing came from? knowledge dealing with
3 How stress and physical stress.
Tabulation of data
illnesss correlates to each b. Have a reflection on
other Statistical Treatment oneself.
4. What are the factors that
stress and physical illness c. Recognizes proper way
Analysis and
correlated? dealing with stress
5. Does stress have a large Interpretation of data resulting to physical illness
contribution on developing
physical illness? d. prevents ones
6. How senior high school developing serious illness
deal with stress?

Statement of the problem

This study attempted to assess the relationship between the stress and physical illness

Specifically, this study sought to answer to the following:

How the stress does affects teens physical health?

Where does the stress of senior high school students experiencing came from?
How stress and physical illness correlates to each other.

What are the factors that stress and physical illness correlated.

Does stress have a large contribution on developing physical illness?

How senior high school deal with stress?

Hypothesis

The researchers formulated the null hypothesis.

There is no significant difference between the responses of the senior high

school students and the faculty members as to the relationship of stress and physical
illness among senior high school students.

Significance of the study

The results of the study would be beneficial to the following:

Proctors - Many educators experience stress as well. This can help to deal with
stress to themselves. This may help to understand their students experiencing stress
because of studying.

Students - It is important that young people receive proper knowledge about

stress for keeping healthy especially in puberty period where changes in individual is
broad.
 Parents - parents and guardians are the primary educators of their children,
providing young people accurate and developmentally appropriate knowledge about
stress. This research basically provides knowledge about stress and physical illness

Future Researchers - this study will benefit them for having some initial findings
and will give them initial knowledge about the relationship between stress and physical
illness.

Scope and Limitation

This study was focused on the relationship between stress and physical illness,
The respondents of the study are the senior high school students of St. Augustine
School of Nursing Mandaluyong Branch.

The study really doesnt come in depth research a focuses on teens perception
and relevance.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined operationally and conceptually for the readers
clarification.

Stress - Stress is defined as any stimulus, such as fear or pain, that disturbs or
interferes with the normal physiologic equilibrium of an organism.
Physical Illness - disorders or diseases that compromise physical well-being, either
temporarily or chronically.

Health - a relative state in which one is able to function well physically, mentally,
socially, and spiritually in order to express the full range of one's unique potentialities
within the environment in which one is living

Illness - is the state of poor health and stress is the term use to describe the physical
and psychological response to demand from the environment

Hormones - a regulatory substance produced in an organism and transported in tissue

fluids such as blood or sap to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action.

Stressor - is a chemical or biological agent, environmental condition, external stimulus

or an event that causes stress to an organism.

Cancer- an abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way

and, in some cases, to metastasize (spread).

Stimulus- an agent (such as an environmental change) that directly influences

the activity of a living organism or one of its parts (as by exciting a sensory
organ or evoking muscular contraction or glandular secretion)

Noxious Stimuli- A noxious stimulus is actually, or potentially, damaging to tissue

and liable to cause pain, but does not invariably do so.

Physiological - characteristic of or appropriate to an organism's healthy or

normal functioning.

Eustress - a positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health,

motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.

Exhaustion - the act or process of exhausting : the state of being exhausted

Immune system - the bodily system that protects the body from foreign substances,
cells, and tissues by producing the immune response and that includes especially the
thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, special deposits of lymphoid tissue (as in the
gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow), macrophages, lymphocytes including the B
cells and T cells, and antibodies.

ACTH - a protein hormone of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland that
stimulates the adrenal cortex called also adrenocorticotropic hormone.
Pituitary Gland - a gland at the base of the brain that produces several
hormones of which one affects growth

Suppression - the conscious intentional exclusion from consciousness of a

thought or feeling/

Absenteeism - chronic absence (as from work or school); also: the rate of such
absence