On my life stress inventory test I scored a 112 which means that I currently have a relatively low number of changes in my life which indicates a low susceptibility to a stress-induced health breakdown. 1 On the Coping & Stress Management Skills Test, I scored a 58, which indicates that I use problem-focused coping. According to Problem-Focused Coping by Science Direct “Problem-focused coping refers to efforts to alter the stressful situation itself. For instance, the stress and anxiety of an upcoming test can be minimized by studying for the test, thus eliminating the stress-inducing power of the test.” 2 However, this type of behavior tends to be when the stressor is controllable but ineffective in situations that can’t be changed or controlled. Lastly, my type A Personality Test results score was 46 which means I am impatient and irritable. These results say that my interactions with others are generally warm and tolerable but can sometimes be impatient and hostile. 1
“Problem-focused coping refers to efforts to alter the stressful situation itself. “
I learned that I need to work on managing my stress and learn how to control the things that upset me, especially at work when dealing with hostile patients. Patients often start yelling and can become abusive and this causes me to have hypertension and tachycardia. According to the CDC “Four of the 10 most costly health conditions for US employers—angina pectoris (chest pain), high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart attack—are related to heart disease and stroke.” 3 To mitigate these health conditions, programs such as the Workplace Health Promotion Program and Workplace Health Model have been implemented to support employee health.
References:
- Psychology Today. 2021. Retrieved from: Type A Personality Test (psychologytoday.com).
- Franklin M. Zaromb, … Richard D. Roberts. Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology, Science Direct. 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/problem-focused-coping
- CDC. Workplace Health Promotion. How CDC Supports a Healthy, Competitive Workforce. 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/workplace-health.htm#:~:text=Four%20of%20the%2010%20most%20costly%20health%20conditions,health%20risk%2C%20ranking%20above%20physical%20inactivity%20and%20obesity.
