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Embodying psychological thriving: physical thriving in response to stress - Thriving: Broadening the Paradigm Beyond Illness to Health

Journal of Social Issues, Summer, 1998 by Elissa S. Epel, Bruce S. McEwen, Jeannette R. Ickovics

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General Conclusions

We have reviewed pathways to physical thriving, such as relaxation and toughening up through repeated exposure to short-term stressors. Exposure to manageable stressors can leave one's stress response systems more resilient than before. Most relevant to this Journal issue is that psychosocial and cognitive factors, such as challenge appraisals (in contrast to threat appraisals), high self-esteem, control over resources, and perceptions of control over one's environment, can moderate responses to stressors, leading to salutary neuroendocrine responses. Further, we have suggested that exposure to stressors and effective coping responses are actually necessary for physical thriving. We have argued that the biochemical analogs of perceived positive arousal and relaxation promote growth and efficient allostasis: tight counterregulatory neuroendocrine response systems. Conversely, perceptions of threat or loss shift one's physiology toward negative stress arousal: a catabolic state that inhibits growth and restorative functioning and increases allostatic load and disease.

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Whereas much animal research is finding that uncontrollable stress and social defeat can lead to disease and death, research on humans is more complex. Perceived loss of control may lead to loss of homeostatic control over metabolism, immune functioning, and growth. Clearly, more research is needed to understand how responses to stress can lead to growth and thriving versus disease and death. As a small step toward this goal, we have presented data showing that women high on a measure of psychological thriving responded to a repeated laboratory stressor with rapid cortisol habituation. These psychologically hardy women demonstrated greater flexibility in their hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a sign of efficient allostatic regulation and positive health. To deepen our understanding of thriving, future research should also measure one's growth index - the ratio of anabolic and catabolic processes in response to challenge - as well as psychological measures of growth, relaxation, positive states, and well being.

The authors would like to acknowledge the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's Network on Social Class and Health for financial support, as well as Laura Bayer, Grace Castellazzo, Kathleen Ethier, Anne Reid, Jogin Thakore, and Jessica Lewis for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this article.

References

Adler, N., Boyce, W., Chesney, M., Cohen, S., Folkman, S., Kahn, R., & Syme, L. (1994). Socioeconomic status and health: The challenge of the gradient. American Psychologist, 49, 15-24.

Al Absi, M., & Lovallo, W. (1993). Cortisol concentrations in serum of borderline hypertensive men exposed to a novel experimental setting. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 18(5/6), 355-363.

Aldwin, C., & Stokols, D. (1988). The effects of environmental change on individuals and groups: Some neglected issues in stress research. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 8, 57-75.

Embodying psychological thriving: physical thriving in response to stress - Thriving: Broadening the Paradigm Beyond Illness to Health

Journal of Social Issues, Summer, 1998 by Elissa S. Epel, Bruce S. McEwen, Jeannette R. Ickovics

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