Qlt1 Task 1
ECA - Task 1
Stress has been defined as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them’. (Finlay et al., 2010 page 141). It can affect everyone at some stage and is part of everyday life. Whilst moderate stress can help people react more quickly ‘prolonged or excessive levels give people no time to recover their strength, and this can lead to exhaustion, depression and physical illness.’ (Finlay et al., 2010 page 142). There are many factors that may contribute to stress and a variety of interventions that can tackle it. This essay is primarily concerned with debating the effectiveness of a stress management course as an intervention, and for illustration, I will be referring to the …show more content…
case study of Steve who is being sent on a stress management course by his boss. After establishing what level of intervention this constitutes, I will identify the influencing factors involved at this level, and will debate the limitations of a stress management course alone as an intervention, drawing on other influences which can also contribute to stress. (Finlay et al., 2010).
Steve is married with 2 children, he works in Information Technology and has recently moved house.
For a variety of reasons, Steve is suffering from high levels of stress and he has agreed to go on a stress management course. A stress management course is a psychological intervention at the level of the individual, designed to help Steve to reduce his stress. Both psychological and biological factors contribute to Steve’s stress at this level. Steve has a meticulous personality and he has got into the habit of working long hours to complete his work. He doesn’t feel that he has time to take lunch breaks or computer breaks. Steve worries a lot about the health of his father who suffers from Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), he is understandably concerned that he may have inherited a predisposition for CHD, which ‘is the single most common cause of premature death in the United Kingdom’ (DH, 2000 quoted in Finlay et al., 2010 page 50). Steve believes in the importance of regular exercise, which can play a part in significantly reducing CHD, but he has little opportunity to undertake any. (Finlay et al., …show more content…
2010).
Whilst attending a stress management course is one intervention at the level of the individual, which may help Steve to cope better, this intervention alone is unlikely to be able to address the reasons for his stress.
Other interventions may need to be employed at this level; for example, given Steve’s possible predisposition for CHD, his doctor may intervene biologically to prescribe medication to help with his anxiety, and undertake to check his blood pressure regularly. In addition, as well as influences at the level of the individual, there are many influences at the level of the family, locality and the wider society, which must also be taken into account. (Finlay et al., 2010).
At the level of Steve’s family, his father instilled a hardworking ethic into him and Steve’s attitude to work has been influenced by this. In addition, Steve has two young children who make demands on his time and energy, his house requires a lot of alterations and DIY takes up much of Steve’s time. At family level, one possible intervention might be for Steve to spend less time on his DIY work enabling him to relax more in the evenings and at the weekends. (Finlay et al.,
2010).
Influences at the level of locality can also cause stress. Steve does not find his working environment enjoyable or conducive to producing good work. His office is open-plan and sometimes noisy which makes it difficult for him to concentrate. Steve’s computer workstation is placing a strain on his arms and wrists and he experiences occasional dizziness. There is no opportunity to exercise at work and he is not encouraged to take regular computer breaks. A major problem for Steve is the attitude of his boss who he finds unsympathetic, unsupportive and unapproachable. There are many interventions at the level of locality, which could improve Steve’s predicament, but a more understanding boss would go a long way in easing the situation. (Finlay et al., 2010).
At the level of society, although Steve gets on well with his colleagues, in common with most British men he is quite reserved when it comes to discussing his personal problems. Because Steve’s company is in stiff competition with others, there are fewer employees to handle an increasingly heavier workload. His contract states that he agrees to work more than 48 hours per week, which is not allowed in other parts of the European Union (EU). Steve is so worried about losing his job or taking a cut in salary that he does not complain about his working conditions. One intervention at the level of society might involve the Government passing a law to restrict an employee’s working hours, bringing them into line with other parts of the EU. (Finlay et al., 2010).
In conclusion, many factors within the workplace, the family and wider society, together with a person’s individual biology, character, beliefs and emotions, can influence one’s ability to manage stress. All these influences are connected and cannot be looked at in isolation; they must all be taken into account. ‘In the face of the sustained stresses and strains of the modern world, the stress response can, in the long term, damage peoples health and well being.’ (Finlay et al., 2010 page 142). Having said this, making health-enhancing changes is challenging and much will depend on how motivated Steve is to do this. His stress may be tackled in many ways and because every case is different, there is no correct strategy. ‘Interventions involving biological (for example medication) or psychological (for example emotional support) strategies can be usefully offered to help individuals make these changes’. (Finlay et al., 2010 page 59). A single intervention, such as a stress management course, however, is unlikely to change a lifelong habit. (Finlay et al., 2010).
Word Count – 1,003
Reference List
Finlay, L., Pearson, C. and Ram, S (2010) Understanding Health, Milton Keynes, The Open University.
________________________________________________________________
ECA – Task 2
I now appreciate the importance of an essay plan to marshal my thoughts and structure my essay. I spent more time on my essay plan for the second TMA and included more detail, which helped take away the decision-making, leaving me free to concentrate more on my writing style. I have more confidence in my ability to write in an academic style, using evidence-based material. I am learning to read the course material with the question in mind from the outset, making notes and highlighting relevant information. I included more course material in my second TMA and avoided expressing personal opinions to back up my points.
My writing style is balanced, I communicate effectively in easy to read, positive and negative sentences but have a tendency to try to include too much information. I must be more selective, to avoid spending time editing my work.
I hope to develop my debating skills so that I can recognise and more effectively present, different sides to an argument using evidence. I believe I can improve this skill by reading newspaper articles and listening to television news reports to identify how they achieve this, and also by engaging in debate with friends.
Word Count – 199
Stress has been defined as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them’. (Finlay et al., 2010 page 141). It can affect everyone at some stage and is part of everyday life. Whilst moderate stress can help people react more quickly ‘prolonged or excessive levels give people no time to recover their strength, and this can lead to exhaustion, depression and physical illness.’ (Finlay et al., 2010 page 142). There are many factors that may contribute to stress and a variety of interventions that can tackle it. This essay is primarily concerned with debating the effectiveness of a stress management course as an intervention, and for illustration, I will be referring to the …show more content…
case study of Steve who is being sent on a stress management course by his boss. After establishing what level of intervention this constitutes, I will identify the influencing factors involved at this level, and will debate the limitations of a stress management course alone as an intervention, drawing on other influences which can also contribute to stress. (Finlay et al., 2010).
Steve is married with 2 children, he works in Information Technology and has recently moved house.
For a variety of reasons, Steve is suffering from high levels of stress and he has agreed to go on a stress management course. A stress management course is a psychological intervention at the level of the individual, designed to help Steve to reduce his stress. Both psychological and biological factors contribute to Steve’s stress at this level. Steve has a meticulous personality and he has got into the habit of working long hours to complete his work. He doesn’t feel that he has time to take lunch breaks or computer breaks. Steve worries a lot about the health of his father who suffers from Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), he is understandably concerned that he may have inherited a predisposition for CHD, which ‘is the single most common cause of premature death in the United Kingdom’ (DH, 2000 quoted in Finlay et al., 2010 page 50). Steve believes in the importance of regular exercise, which can play a part in significantly reducing CHD, but he has little opportunity to undertake any. (Finlay et al., …show more content…
2010).
Whilst attending a stress management course is one intervention at the level of the individual, which may help Steve to cope better, this intervention alone is unlikely to be able to address the reasons for his stress.
Other interventions may need to be employed at this level; for example, given Steve’s possible predisposition for CHD, his doctor may intervene biologically to prescribe medication to help with his anxiety, and undertake to check his blood pressure regularly. In addition, as well as influences at the level of the individual, there are many influences at the level of the family, locality and the wider society, which must also be taken into account. (Finlay et al., 2010).
At the level of Steve’s family, his father instilled a hardworking ethic into him and Steve’s attitude to work has been influenced by this. In addition, Steve has two young children who make demands on his time and energy, his house requires a lot of alterations and DIY takes up much of Steve’s time. At family level, one possible intervention might be for Steve to spend less time on his DIY work enabling him to relax more in the evenings and at the weekends. (Finlay et al.,
2010).
Influences at the level of locality can also cause stress. Steve does not find his working environment enjoyable or conducive to producing good work. His office is open-plan and sometimes noisy which makes it difficult for him to concentrate. Steve’s computer workstation is placing a strain on his arms and wrists and he experiences occasional dizziness. There is no opportunity to exercise at work and he is not encouraged to take regular computer breaks. A major problem for Steve is the attitude of his boss who he finds unsympathetic, unsupportive and unapproachable. There are many interventions at the level of locality, which could improve Steve’s predicament, but a more understanding boss would go a long way in easing the situation. (Finlay et al., 2010).
At the level of society, although Steve gets on well with his colleagues, in common with most British men he is quite reserved when it comes to discussing his personal problems. Because Steve’s company is in stiff competition with others, there are fewer employees to handle an increasingly heavier workload. His contract states that he agrees to work more than 48 hours per week, which is not allowed in other parts of the European Union (EU). Steve is so worried about losing his job or taking a cut in salary that he does not complain about his working conditions. One intervention at the level of society might involve the Government passing a law to restrict an employee’s working hours, bringing them into line with other parts of the EU. (Finlay et al., 2010).
In conclusion, many factors within the workplace, the family and wider society, together with a person’s individual biology, character, beliefs and emotions, can influence one’s ability to manage stress. All these influences are connected and cannot be looked at in isolation; they must all be taken into account. ‘In the face of the sustained stresses and strains of the modern world, the stress response can, in the long term, damage peoples health and well being.’ (Finlay et al., 2010 page 142). Having said this, making health-enhancing changes is challenging and much will depend on how motivated Steve is to do this. His stress may be tackled in many ways and because every case is different, there is no correct strategy. ‘Interventions involving biological (for example medication) or psychological (for example emotional support) strategies can be usefully offered to help individuals make these changes’. (Finlay et al., 2010 page 59). A single intervention, such as a stress management course, however, is unlikely to change a lifelong habit. (Finlay et al., 2010).
Word Count – 1,003
Reference List
Finlay, L., Pearson, C. and Ram, S (2010) Understanding Health, Milton Keynes, The Open University.
________________________________________________________________
ECA – Task 2
I now appreciate the importance of an essay plan to marshal my thoughts and structure my essay. I spent more time on my essay plan for the second TMA and included more detail, which helped take away the decision-making, leaving me free to concentrate more on my writing style. I have more confidence in my ability to write in an academic style, using evidence-based material. I am learning to read the course material with the question in mind from the outset, making notes and highlighting relevant information. I included more course material in my second TMA and avoided expressing personal opinions to back up my points.
My writing style is balanced, I communicate effectively in easy to read, positive and negative sentences but have a tendency to try to include too much information. I must be more selective, to avoid spending time editing my work.
I hope to develop my debating skills so that I can recognise and more effectively present, different sides to an argument using evidence. I believe I can improve this skill by reading newspaper articles and listening to television news reports to identify how they achieve this, and also by engaging in debate with friends.
Word Count – 199