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This study compared stress levels between law enforcement officers and the civilian population as measured by systolic blood pressure, the State-Trait Personality Inventory, and the Anger Reaction Scale. The relationship between systolic blood pressure and the self report instruments was also investigated. Thirty Deputy Sheriffs from the street patrol division of the Sheriff's Department served as the law enforcement group and 20 underwriters for the Hartford Insurance Company were the civilian or control group. the Deputy Sheriffs had significantly higher average systolic blood pressure than the Hartford employees with the effects of covariates removed. However, the Hartford employees scored significantly higher on anger--in F(1,45)=12.37, p < .005, anger-expression F(1,45=8.84, p < .005, state-anxiety F(1,46)=17.98, p < .001, trait-anxiety F(1,46)=22.77, p < .001, and trait-anger F(1,46)=13.44, p=.001, than the deputies. For the Hartford group, the relationship between systolic blood pressure and the self report instruments was consistent with previous research which has found a positive correlation between anger-in and systolic blood pressure. However, there was a negative relationship between the self-report scales and systolic blood pressure for the deputies which is inconsistent with previous research. These results suggest that the Sheriffs may be repressing some of these unpleasant emotions.

M.A. / This study looks into the types of stressors specific to the Emergency Medical Services. The study was undertaken over a period of two years with the following objectives: • A literature survey regarding stress, organisational stress in general and stress in the context of Emergency Medical Services in particular. • An investigation of the personnel of the Emergency Medical Services to ascertain the stressors perceived as stressful by them. • Recommendations on how to prevent or lower stress in the Emergency Medical Services. The first part of this study is devoted to a theoretical investigation which gives an overview of stress in its broadest sense as well as stress in organisations which includes cumulative stress/burnout. Critical Incident Stress and Post Traumatic Stress are also closely examined, as well as the personality characteristics of members of the Emergency Medical Services. The point of departure for the researcher is an ecosystemic perspective where objectivity itself is questionable. Therefore, qualitative research was called for and the transactional/interactional model of Richard Lazarus was used to categorise stressors. The research results suggest that what the Emergency Medical Service personnel perceive as stressful are mainly organisational stressors but they acknowledge that in the long term the continual dealing with death and trauma starts to take its toll. Criticisms that could be levelled against the study are that the results are only generalisable to the personnel of the Johannesburg Emergency Services, whose demographic characteristics and backgrounds differ, for instance, from those who work at Bryanston, or Pretoria. As the study relied solely on personal disclosure and observation the results can be seen as somewhat subjective in nature. What was communicated as stress-related events was what was perceived as stressful by the personnel as well as the researcher's subjective perception of whether certain events were perceived as stressful for the personnel. After working on the ambulance with these personnel for over three years, the researcher is an accepted part of their system, and became subject to the same blunting of affect and depersonalisation of victims as the Emergency workers. Over an extended period in time, it became harder to divorce the researcher from the "worker" while on duty, to maintain a scientific perspective and to write objectively. However, the findings of this study concur with those done by previous researchers on this subject such as Sparrius (1992) and Du Toit & Botes (1996).

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1979 P44 / Master of Science

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This paper provides a theoretical overview and critical evaluation of current conceptualizations and research in the field of stress, with particular reference to the integration of theoretical knowledge with therapeutic interventions. The discussion commences with a brief look at the detrimental effects of stress. This is followed by a clarification of the concepts of stress, stressors, strains and coping. A review of recent developments in the major stress theories, namely the stimulus-response (S-R) models, stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) models, social stress theories, the holistic health model, control theory, psychodynamic theory, learning theory, self theory, existentialist theory, cognitive theory, the transactional model and conservation of resources theory, follows. Factors that can act as moderators of the adverse effects of stress are discussed briefly, as they hold important implications for interventions in psychological practice. These moderators include personality, social support and other moderators such as spiritual health, tolerance for ambiguity and genetic predisposition. An attempt to show how theory can inform practice by guiding specific interventions on primary, secondary and tertiary prevention levels concludes the discussion. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie artikel bied 'n teoretiese oorsig en kritiese evaluering van huidige konseptualiserings en navorsing op die terrein van stres, met spesifieke verwysing na die integrasie van teoretiese kennis met terapeutiese intervensies. Die bespreking begin met 'n algemene oorsig van die nadelige effekte van stres. 'n Verduideliking van die konsepte van stres, stressors, stresverwante spanning (strain) en streshantering (coping) volg. Hierop volg 'n oorsig van onlangse ontwikkelings in die belangrikste stresteorieë, naamlik die stimulus-respons (S-R) modelle, die stimulus-organisme-respons (S-O-R) modelle, sosiale stresteorieë, die holistiese gesondheidsmodel, sisteemteorieë, psigodinamiese teorie, leerteorie, selfteorie, eksistensialistiese teorie, kognitiewe teorie, die transaksionele model en laastens die behoud-van-bronne-teorie. Faktore wat kan dien as moderators van die nadelige effekte van stres word ook kortliks bespreek, aangesien hulle belangrike implikasies inhou vir terapeutiese intervensies. Die moderators wat in hierdie artikel bespreek word sluit in persoonlikheid, sosiale ondersteuning en ander moderators, naamlik geestelike welsyn, toleransie vir onsekerheid en genetiese predisposisie. Die artikel word afgesluit met 'n bespreking oor hoe die teorie terapeutiese intervensie kan bevorder op primêre, sekondêre en tersiêre voorkomingsvlakke.

This thesis investigated the interaction of stress and decoding accuracy through the vocalic and facial kinesic channels and with regard to gender. Stress (high and low) was created for 372 undergraduate students using the Stroop Color-Word Test. Overall, results did not show that an increase in stress led to a decrease in decoding accuracy. However, the findings did suggest that stress was impacting on the decoding process. The researcher uncovered a main effect for channel such that the facial kinesic channel was the most accurate for decoding emotions. In addition, an ordinal interaction was found during the first time period which showed that stress was differentially affecting the four groups (kinesic, high and low stress; vocalic, high and low stress). Males and females were affected in a similar manner by stress, with females being consistently more accurate decoders than males regardless of the amount of stress or channel used.

Objectives. This thesis aimed to examine a series of personality and cognitive factors as prospective predictors of suicidal thinking and psychological distress. A secondary objective was to examine any causal relationship between rumination and attentional biases. Method. In order to achieve the above objectives, a series of four studies were conducted. Studies one and three were prospective studies, using analogue samples, to examine the role of personality and cognitive factors in distress and suicidal thinking. In addition, study one also investigated the effect on attentional bias of manipulating rumination. Study two was an experimental study in which two different methods of manipulating attentional bias were piloted. The final study in this thesis employed a clinical sample of general hospital parasuicide patients to investigate whether relationships between personality and cognitive factors were replicable in a clinical population. Results. The personality and cognitive factors understudy were investigated within a research framework to examine their interactive effects. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed a number of moderating and mediating relationships between these personality and cognitive factors to prospectively predict both suicidal thinking and psychological distress. In addition, rumination was found to have a causal influence on positive attentional bias. Conclusions. Evidence from this thesis links personality and cognitive factors to both suicidal thinking and psychological distress in a series of moderating and mediating relationships. These are discussed in relation to the possible theoretical and clinical implications.

This investigation sought to identify differences in the human psychophysiological stress response when mediated by affiliation, by assessing heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), electrodermal activity (EDA), serum Cortisol (SC) concentration, interleukin-2 (IL-2) concentration, and state anxiety among subjects who underwent an anagram solution task. Thirty male subjects from the University of North Texas were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions and asked to solve a series of difficult anagrams either alone or with a companion. Subjects assigned to the control condition were asked to copy permutations of the anagrams. Before, and immediately after the anagram/copying tasks HR, SBP, DBP were measured, blood samples drawn, and The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) administered to all subjects. EDA was measured throughout all trials. Changes from baseline through the experimental period for all dependent variables were analyzed by employing difference scores derived from contrasting baseline and experimental measures. These scores were subjected to an analysis of variance (ANOVA) resulting in one significant between group effect among all dependent variables examined. Contrary to stated hypotheses, the alone condition significantly differed from the companion and control conditions by demonstrating a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure from baseline through the experimental period. It was concluded that the decrease in systolic blood pressure from baseline through the experimental period for the alone group was a result of chance sampling of individuals possessing unique psychophysiological response patterns. Appraisals of inter-group differences in response patterns across all dependent variables suggest that an insufficient stressor, and limitations in design, statistical analysis, and measurement may have contributed to this investigation's results. Implications of findings were discussed along with suggestions for future research.

Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg 1993 / This dissertation studies the relationship between the use of certain coping strategies and the relapse of'illness, Eighty subjects with 1\'{yalgicEncephalomyelitis (M.E.) were followed OVera nine month period, initially completing a biographical questionnaire which showed some interesting common features, but these characteristics may be attributed to the narrow population from which the sample was drawn. The subjects then completed a battery of tests every eight weeks. These tests monitored appraisal of stressors, ways of coping and general health over the eight weeks since the previous test. Results were analysed using a Pearson's product moment correlation and a principal components factor analysis with a varimax rotation. The subjects were expected to show a positive correlat'on between certain coping techniques (such as denial, avoidance, and self- blame) and the relapse of M.B., while a zero or negative correlation between other coping techniques (such as seeking social support and problem solving when the stressor is controllable) and relapse. Neither of these hypotheses was supported by the data gathered. However, the subjects showed a remarkable consistency inthe types of'coping used, rather than adapting the mode of coping to the type of stressor experienced. It was concluded that the subjects used abnormal coping techniques and that these techniques Weresomehow related to their illness. However, the exact causal relationship between the coping techniques and the illness could not be assessed. It is possible that the subjects' poor coping mechanisms contributed to the development and exacerbation of the illness but it in also possible that the illness limited the repertoire of coping techniques available to the p"atient.