PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU

Walden University PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU-Step-By-Step Guide

This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Walden University PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.

How to Research and Prepare for PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU

Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Walden University PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.

How to Write the Introduction for PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU

The introduction for the Walden University PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.

How to Write the Body for PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU

After the introduction, move into the main part of the PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.

Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.

How to Write the Conclusion for PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU

After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.

How to Format the References List for PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU

The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.

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PSY-5302 v4 Examine Stress-Level Inventory NCU

I see the difficulty in measuring stress. In the mid 20th century, many social scientists subscribed to the idea that similar traumatic life events induced a comparable degree of stress in different individuals. Knowing what kind of events, such as divorce or the sudden death of a family member, can serve as an objective measure of the kind of stress people experience; likewise, one can objectify the number of stressful events a person experiences in a given period of time. Neither of these, however, measure the “amount” or severity of stress a person experienced. (Cohen et al., 1983)

This is an insightful response Morgan. I concur with your post. The structure of families is consistently changing and diversifying. Health is associated with multifactorial causation and the family can affect health of a person in numerous ways. Therefore, the changing dynamic of family structure can greatly influence risk and protective factors that impacts health (Kaakinen et al., 2018). Family members are likely to share risk factor health that may emanate from several socio characteristics of their communal society, neighborhood, culture, community, and housing. Family members also share positive aspects that promote good health. Family is also exposed to the same health-related lifestyle and dietary behaviors. Moreover, the family also share financial resources in managing poor-health and health care cost including the protection enjoyed by the availability of financial resources in relation to health issues. As such, it is imperative for health care system to consider the changing the dynamics of families and recognize them in patient health care delivery to improve outcomes.

Researchers realized that perceived stress might be a better measure of a person’s experience. They developed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and included items related to the sense of unpredictability, and uncontrollability, which may contribute to the feeling of suffering stress “overload.” (Cohen et al., 1983)

On the PSS I scored 16, which is considered “moderate stress.” I have what I would consider serious chronic stressors, but at the same time I do have many resources and coping skills that buffer stress. I am happily married, I have a job that is very satisfying, I have financial security, and my health issues are relatively minor. At the same time, if I separate my stressors from my daily cognitive adaptations that allow me to cope with them, I have to say that the stress I experience is devastating and debilitating. The recurring stressful event (my son’s psychosis and anger), its chronicity, and the lack of resolution feels overwhelming. Every single day I work on mitigating its effect. I use all the tools I have, from talking to mental health providers, searching for treatments, avoiding thinking about it, to using distractions. Does it matter that I do not agree with the test’s assessment of my stress?

One must consider the purpose of measuring stress when administering a specific test. For example, the PSS might matter to a psychologist and the client in evaluating progress in therapy. On the other hand, a neurologist who studies the effect of stress on the brain may choose an objective measure, such as cortisol levels in a patient’s body, to determine the potential effects on the patient’s nervous system.

According to my Ardell Wellness Stress Test results (14), I am not “nearly immune” to stress, and I have not mastered “the wellness approach to life,” but fortunately I am a “wellness-oriented person, with ability to prosper as a whole person.” I consider it good news. Growing up in a socialist and Catholic country (these should not be compatible, but the Poles made it work), I am full of unexplained guilt, and I think about everybody else first before acknowledging my own needs; I am, admittedly, not great at taking care of myself. I wonder if I would score much higher on a scale developed by eastern European social scientists.

Examine Stress-Level Inventory

It is obvious that individuals seek guidance and understanding in attempting to diagnose what, why, and how levels of stress are

perceived and measured. Finding ways pertaining to adaptability and conquering treatment once a diagnosis is given is the easiest part of the battle. Individuals are misled into thinking that stress levels are all the same and there are quick fixes or medications that can correct the issue or situation is fabrication. Reading that accomplished researchers had to first dissect the difference between chronic and acute stress levels and thus creating tests that differentiate the boundaries of these stress levels before communication could even persist on treatment processes, made this week’s reading remarkably interesting and educational.

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Because there are so many different scenarios to life altering events, attempting to dissect the most important three perceived stress levels in my life were not as easy as I thought it would be. The belief in cognitive positive thinking and producing innovative ways to not focus on negative aspects to have my behavior altered due to stressful situations, assists me with correction of possibilities towards negative stressors. Personally, I had to take at least three of the tests just to identify exactly which stressors were imperative enough to conquer my thought pattern. I eventually understood how the Social Readjustment Rating Scale applies and measures towards my own personal attributes as I received a 130 scoring which indicated from the listing that I had low levels of stress and low probability of obtaining a stress level disorder. This test stipulated a point scale based on subject matters that happened within the last year or will happen in the near future (Holmes, Rahe, 1967). The second test, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) originally developed in 1983, is designed to help us understand how different situations affect our feelings and our perceived stress. The questions in this scale ask about your feelings and thoughts during the last month. I scored with a twelve on the PSS which indicates average levels of stress (Carnegie Mellon University, 2010). Still unable to determine my possible top three stressor I took the final test, Ardell Wellness Stress Test. The findings for 0 to + 19 points indicated that I can clearly benefit from a modest investment in learning ways to reduce stress and increase pleasures. A flurry of negative circumstances could spark emotional setbacks and I need to take steps now to avoid slowing your steady progression toward knowledge of good living and self-efficacy (Ardell, 2018).

There was an article in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior that indicated that stress in one area of life has a ripple effect creating stress in other areas throughout life. Stress can pass from parents to children (Thots PA, para. 4, 2010). Keeping that article in mind, I was able to choose those three elements that attracted my attention regarding my present situation after the test geared towards my career choice, my education advancement at my current age, and my health and nutritional needs. Those were my most immediate stress factors that seemed to have scored significantly low on the Ardell Wellness Stress Test. I will take into consideration to reduce my stress in retrospect to Mr. Ardell (take steps now to avoid slowing your steady progression toward knowledge of good living and self-efficacy). Those steps will include utilizing time management to achieve educational advancement goals while being conducive in my career choice; take time to enhance my physical activity to secure a healthy balanced exercise regime that will aide in my obesity stress factors while minimizing my diet intake. Not only will I achieve my goals towards completing my education but also my career will advance as a product of success and thus my eating habits will change because I will not be stressed and prompted to overeat and continue to be unhealthy.

Reference Page

Ardell, Donald B. 1 July 2018. The Ardell Wellness Stress Self-Assessment. https://premierespeakers.com/donald_ardell/blog/2018/07/01/the_ardell_wellness_stress_self-assessment

Carnegie Mellon University. 23 February 2010. Laboratory for the Study of Stress, Immunity, and Disease. https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/psychology/stress-immunity-disease-lab/scales/html/pssscoring.html

Thotts, PA. 1 November 2010. Stress and Health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Sage Publications. https://www.rfjw.org

Holmes, T. H. & Rahe, R. H. (1967). The social readjustment rating scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11(2), 213-221.

Recently I had discussed how a former partner, who was abusive, reached out. This sent me into a tailspin of various emotions, cognitions, and physiological stress responses. Since stress does not occur in a vacuum, I have examined the ways my environment and systems have impacted my perceptions of stress, as well as how my perceived stress is impacting the systems participate in.

It was pointed out that the top five stressors included in the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) pertained to the detriment of close interpersonal relationships (Northcentral University, n.d.b). The abusive relationship I experienced reshaped how I view the world, and I have spent years trying to remind myself that I am now in a safe partnership. With the recent trigger, my relationships became strained for various reasons, with the most painful strain being on my marriage. Despite no wrongdoing, my husband has had to endure my activation that has resulted in my fear and retreating inwards. This is stressful, not only because I am aware that this is impacting him negatively, but also because of the need for safe and stable relationships to help me through this. In an effort to combat the social isolation and interpersonal stress, I plan to better communicate my thoughts and needs and logically ground into the examples of safety this relationship has provided me.

We have spent weeks studying the short- and long-term physiological responses to, and impacts of, stress. The Symptoms of Stress Table allowed me to check in with myself regarding the somatic symptoms I’ve been experiencing as a result of my PTSD and recent trigger. When used in this way, it was helpful to explore how stress is impacting my body’s systems (Northcentral University, n.d.a). I identified that the somatic symptoms are much more pervasive and perceived to be less manageable than the cognitive and emotional symptoms. The somatic symptoms create additional stress from physical discomfort, which causes further stress that I am not improving. I reached out to my therapist, who recommended a somatic workbook to explore activities that may help to alleviate this body response I am having a hard time reducing and plan to revisit the Symptoms of Stress Table.

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) provided me with a quantifiable measure of how I am experiencing stress (Northcentral University, n.d.a). Despite having one specific trigger (stressor) in mind, I recognized that my perception of this stress has altered my general views over the past month. I found myself feeling hopeless and overwhelmed by the stress of my abuser reaching out to me, and this has amplified every other area of my life. For example, him reaching out left me feeling void of control, anxious, and angry. After thinking about my PSS responses, I noticed that my perceptions of school, work, relationships, and myself, aligned with the previously mentioned feelings. Many have identified the ways social support, resilience, and feelings of control can impact one’s perception of stress (Cohen et al., 1983). I have been brainstorming ways I can regain a sense of control with my therapist, and have already begun making efforts to engage with my social supports rather than isolate.

Cohen, S., Kamarck, T. P., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress.

Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385-396.

Northcentral University. (n.d.a). Chapter 5. PSY-5302: Stress and coping (pp. 31-46).

Northcentral University.

Northcentral University. (n.d.b). PSY-5302: Stress and coping chapter 5 lecture [Word

document]. Retrieved from Northcentral University NCUOne portal: https://ncuone.

ncu.edu/d2l/le/content/313995/viewContent/2494721/View

I think that the most important thing that I saw throughout the readings is to look at my stress within the bigger picture. I think that moving forward it will be important to address a stressful situation as the impact it will have on my life in the present and the future. This will be important for me to do with minor stressors, such as work and school stressors. The next thing that I will do to address perceived stress is to assess the anxiety I feel in situations. Moving forward I must start looking at when I am feeling anxiety and see if it is due to stress or my anxiety disorder. With this it will be important for me to recognize the physical symptoms that I experience with both. I will start to record the physical symptoms that I have when experiencing anxiety and stress. I will do this so I will be able to tell which one I am experiencing depending on the physical symptoms that come with the stress and anxiety that I feel. I am also interested to see if there is a difference in anxiety symptoms based on if it is stress induced anxiety or my anxiety disorder. One other thing that stuck out to me is how physically you can be impacted by stress. Although, the articles did not specifically talk about how stress impacts you physically there was mention of the impact of pain on your body reported by patients (Willcox et al., 2019). I believe that focusing on my physical health may also help improve my stress levels. If I were to release some of that stress by physical activity, then I feel as though I would be able to perceive my stress as less.

I believe that these changes will be important because I feel as though I will be experiencing more stress shortly. I will start working full-time soon as well as working a second job. As this will be a big adjustment for me, I feel as though I will be stressed out because of it. Adding school on top of this I will have to find a whole new routine to finish and manage all these things. Looking at all the potential ways to lower my perceived stress I feel like doing more physical activity will help the most. Not only will this give me a way to release the stress, but it is also a good way to manage my anxiety disorder. This in turn will also allow me to feel less stressed reduced and overall anxiety. This will allow me to assess the anxiety I feel in different situations as well. Lastly, I will work journaling into my schedule so I can look at my stress within the bigger picture. I will include daily and long-term stressors within this journal so that I will possibly be able to find a pattern within the stress I feel.

Resources

Wilcox, R. A., Trooboff, W. S., & Wong, L. S. (2019). Evaluating patient-reported outcomes in inguinal hernia clinical trials. Journal of Surgical Research, 244, 430-435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2019.06.055

Throughout the last couple of weeks, I have gained more awareness of the stressors in my life, reasons why they occur and why stress should not be active all day long. It is inevitable that a person will experience a type of stressor, however depending on how a person perceives their stress will determine if a person experiences physical or psychological pain. No matter the cause, there is a need to be able to assess the stressor to determine if the stressor is another daily hassle or will lead to chronic stress resulting in more negative contributions to a person’s body or mind.

In this week’s reading there has been multiple factors of stress that need to be identified first to determine the severity of my own stress, along with others. Three topics that were discussed that caught my attention, first, was how stress relates to a person’s health regarding physical or psychological pains. When stress is overwhelming for myself, I tend to obtain headaches, especially if I continue to think about the stressor, if it will be resolved, how will it be resolved, and what I can do to resolve the issue. Not only have I started to gain physical symptoms due to my stress, but I also tend to not want to do anything anymore because the stressor is constantly in my mind. It causes me anxiety and sometimes depression until it is resolved. Secondly, was how stress should be measured either based on environmental demands, or the interaction between the individual and the environment’s everyday demand. I believe that stress needs to be measured by each person’s individual perception of what has occurred and how that stressor affects that person. One stressful event may be less intense to someone else because of financial freedom, support, or the person is strong-willed overall. Finally, duration caught my attention. An everyday hassle may be less stressful if it only lasts a day or two. However, constantly thinking about the stressor for months could bring on chronic stress without even realizing the affect the stressor is presenting on the body. For instance, I am planning to get married. My spouse potentially was stressed due to having to make a proposal. The day setting up the proposal and identifying the words to say may have caused stressed the day before and day of. However, preparing for a wedding in a year caused more stress. Constantly thinking about what needs to be purchased, ordered, and fitted over 12 months can cause stress due to completing tasks periodically until the couple says I do.

What is important to identify a person’s perceived stress is self-reporting. What the individual interprets gives a physician awareness of how detrimental the perceived stress is to identify coping mechanisms to reduce them. For my own perceived stress, the Symptoms of Stress table, gives me awareness of how often I am experiencing symptoms and what symptoms those are. By monitoring, I can avoid the number of experiences and reduce the chances for myself to obtain chronic stress. I need to understand how much control I have over a situation without letting the inability to identify how the problem will be resolved be my main concern. Distracting myself with soothing activities and tackling the task at another time will lessen stressors.

Stress and Coping Textbook. https://ncuone.ncu.edu/d2l/le/content/313995/viewContent/2494720/View

Stress Level Inventory

Over the week, I have read the class materials and gathered insights on how to reduce my perceived stress. The information made me realize that my reaction to unpredictable, stressful events is highly uncontrollable. As I assessed my own perceived stresses, several things caught my attention. The first one is my perceived stress is a change in the work shift. I had already known my days and shifts for the week, then one day, I woke up and found that the shifts had changed, and I will be working on the day I thought would be my off day. Since I had already made plans for the day, it was highly stressful for me because I would have to cancel my plans. This affected me because changing plans would equally cause convenience for the people in my plan for that day. They might even think that I am a liar. Having learned the strategies for reducing perceived stress, when faced with such a situation, first, I would take deep breaths to help me calm down, and secondly, I will accept that there are certain situations I have no control over (American Psychology Association, 2019).

The second situation that causes me stress in the morning is waking up to find that I am late for my morning routine. This always gets me upset and probably moody throughout the day. It also affects my productivity because of a lack of enthusiasm. Thus, waking late affects me because it interferes with my functioning. For example, sometimes, when I have a bad mood, I get angry at my colleagues for no justifiable reason. Hence, my stress also affects others. Based on the readings and my research, one of the strategies that I can apply to reduce perceived stress is practicing meditation when I wake up in the morning. Meditating for 10-15 minutes immediately after waking up helps calm the nerves lessening the stress (Anniko et al., 2019). Another strategy is practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is an important element that helps one realize the impacts of their actions on other people. Thirdly, since my workplace is not far, I could try to walk instead of using a car. Walking and enjoying nature also help calm the mind.

Thirdly, I become stressed when suddenly someone breaks in front of me, whether walking or driving. One, the situation is dangerous because it can cause a serious accident with serious repercussions. Secondly, I do not understand why someone would suddenly stop on a busy street, yet they know that people are walking behind them, not aware they are planning to stop. The strategies will apply to deal with such a situation first is to accept that I cannot control what people do and some individuals are just mindless of the effect of their actions on others. Second, I will try to reframe my thinking as a coping approach by adopting more positive thinking (Saiful & Yusoff, 2013). Lastly, I will try as much as possible to avoid the stressor, meaning avoid walking in crowded places or keeping a safe distance where possible. (Saiful & Yusoff, 2013).

References

American Psychology Association. (2019, November 1). Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors. Retrieved from American Psychology Association: https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/tips

Anniko, M. K., Boersma, K., & Tillfors, M. (2019). Sources of stress and worry in the development of stress-related mental health problems: A longitudinal investigation from early- to mid-adolescence. Anxiety, Stress & Coping: An International Journal, 32(2), 155–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2018.1549657.

Saiful, M., & Yusoff, B. (2013). Psychological Distress, Sources of Stress and Coping Strategy in High School Students. International Medical Journal, 20(6), 672-676.

This week’s readings explained some advantages of the objective measurement of stress. Although I do understand the importance of this objective approach, understanding the importance of the role of the subjective approach is crucial. While research has made it possible to find associations between recognized stressors and the effects on physical health, the role that timelines play on our stress, and the advantages of removing subjective biases from stress (objective data), it’s important to recognize that what some may deem as stress others may deem as normal (or not stressful) (Cohen et al., 1983). Each individual is unique to their approach and perspective of a stressor. Perspective emphasizes our ability to cope and adapt to our ever-changing environment.

Major stressors in my life include:

My in-laws.
Learning how to manage boundaries.
Motherhood during COVID times.

To talk about the stressors that my in-laws bring into my marriage should be a module in and of itself. I really wish there was an objective instruction manual on how to handle in-laws. The stressors that come with my in-laws involve learning how to cope with the interactions that come with our different family dynamics has proven to be extremely difficult. Throw in a very non-confrontational husband and an over-opinionated father-in-law … IT TURNS INTO AN ALL OUT SCREAMING MATCH.

The last time he berated me was because he was upset that we wouldn’t allow him to see our newborn, but this time I actually yelled back and stood up for myself. I was pregnant when the COVID-19 outbreak occurred and it was a very scary time for us. For this reason, we took all social distancing measures and mask mandates very serious. We would not allow any visitors to come unless they socially-distanced before. My in-laws were not following mask mandates, they were constantly traveling, and they were not socially distancing themselves. When I had my daughter, they harassed me every single day to come see her but I told them they couldn’t unless they met our requirements. My father-in-law was not happy about this. Although I believe this was more so a control issue, rather than a sudden urge to be a present grandfather, but that’s for another discussion.

My perception of the COVID-19 related stressors were very different from those of my in-laws. Also, our coping mechanisms were very different from one another. My decisions were based off of wanting to protect our children – their grandchildren. Wouldn’t they want them safe, too? I battled constantly with the cognitive dissonance involved here. How can you love your grandchildren, but be willing to put them in harms way to fulfill your own desire to hold them? I’m sure they are dealing with their own set of questions and concerns that involve me, too. For these reasons, it’s important to understand that objective measurements cannot be taken definitively.

While it’s important to understand that there are levels of stress that can be measured, I’ve learned that these cannot be fully relied upon (Cohen, et al., 1983). Instead, I can use these measurement tools to help me determine where a stressor may be in order to help me cope/adapt. In all, the approach that I have chosen to cope with my in-laws (my perceived stressor) involves setting boundaries and continuing to assess/measure my stress with my therapist. I have set up boundaries and if they don’t want to respect them, that’s their choice. This fulfills my desire to protect my children while still giving them the opportunity to be present in their lives. It’s up to them to determine how much stress these boundaries cause them.

Thanks,

Tish

Reference

Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A Global Measure of Perceived Stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385. https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404