Stress in Children, Research Paper Example

Stress is a common occurrence in the life of working individuals, and especially adults. This is largely owing to the fact that at an older age, individuals assume more responsibilities which require them to develop their mental and emotional capacities to handle such situations. In America, 80% of all employees admit to feeling stressed at the work place, about 50% of them, admit to needing help to cope and manage that stress and stressful situations and 42% of employees agree that their co-workers desperately need help related to stress management (Global Organization for Stress).

Statistics

Stress has progressively become prevalent in children within the United States over the past two decades. In 2002, a study in western North Carolina reported 25% of children had been exposed to at least one traumatic event and 6% had experienced these events within 6 months prior to the study. In 2007, a continuation of the study revealed the 68% of children and teenagers had been exposed to at least one traumatic event in their life.

In 2009, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that 31% of US children admit to being slightly overweight. It was found that overweight children were more likely to experience stress over their weight and how they look. 48% of overweight children have also reported to having trouble with sleep, against 33% of normal-weight children. 43% have reported having headaches against 28% of normal weight children. 48% have reported having problems with eating too much against 16% of normal weight children. 22% of overweight children have also been found to get into fights frequently against 13% of normal weight children.

In 2014, a research by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health revealed that 48% of children from birth to 17 years of age had experienced at least one major traumatic event that would significantly hamper of impact their growth and development (Bethell, Newachek and Hawes). 20% of these children had experienced such events twice or more.

The Impact of Stress

Stress is a biological as well as psychological state and condition that affects the well-being of a human being. In children the impact of stress is compounded by the fact that their mental and emotional capacities are still in the developmental stage. Stress exerts unnecessary pressures on the development process that it affects the outcome of the development process.

Heart and Blood Pressure

Negative childhood experiences have negative biological effects on the heart as well as generate a rise in blood pressure, when experienced on a constant basis the effects may carry on into adulthood.

Hormonal Effects of Stress

Research indicates that continuous stress leads to long term hormonal changes.  One of the body’s reactions to stress is the increased production of the hormone cortisol.  After a stressful event, the body increases the production of cortisol and recovers back to an individual base level.  When cortisol remains at a consistent higher level, there is insufficient recovery and a new base level for the individual is eventually established resulting in a long term change in stress adaptability.

Neuro Effects of Stress

The brain of a child is more susceptible to long term effects of stress, due to the brain is still developing.  How an adult responds to stress is determined by the stress experienced of the adult as a child, while the brain was in development (Thompson 44).

Personality and Health

Studies show that the personality of a child may have an impact on health as an adult.   How a child copes with prolonged stress is part of a child’s personality and the developing personality of a child seems to have indications of health as an adult.

Stress Management

Stress management is an occurring term in the world over, as more and more people fall victim to the effects of stress and stressful environments. Most literature based on SM, holds information assessing the effectiveness of stress management techniques, but does not shed light on the different forms of stress management that exist and compare the effectiveness of these techniques.

It is paramount to understand the different approaches used in stress management before analyzing the stress management techniques. Stress management techniques could be grouped in two using two main classification methods (Lehrer, Woolfolk, & Sime, 2007):

Problem Focused, and Emotionally Focused Approaches

Problem Focused Approaches

Problem focused approach methods aim to identify the root cause of stress in the workplace. These approaches consider time management and come up with solutions best applicable for a particular cause, tailored for that specific workplace environment (Lehrer, Woolfolk, & Sime, 2007). For example, problem focused approach methods for a construction site worker differs from those of a banking hall teller.

Emotionally Focused Approaches

Emotionally focused approach methods seek to provide a temporary guide for the parties involved getting by with the symptoms, but give little in solving the root cause of stress. Social support is the most common method; however drugs and alcohol fall under this category (Lehrer, Woolfolk, & Sime, 2007). The existence of friends and individuals whom one trusts helps one to drastically reduce the emotional effects that stressful situations impose (Spiers, 2003). Having a dependable support structure in the form of friends and family where judgment is not passed irrespective of the stressful situation in question, has a soothing effect on emotions and positively influences how one handles subsequent stressful situations.

Psychological and physiological approaches.

Psychological Approaches

Psychological approaches handle subjective feelings triggered by stressful situations, such as lack of control and anxiety. These approaches only help people cope with these feelings (Lehrer, Woolfolk, & Sime, 2007).

Meditation

This involves the repetition of a number or mantra, for example, saying a particular word or number while breathing in and saying another when breathing out. This method requires the individual to pay attention to their breathing while saying the numbers in order to bring down their breathing and thus their heart rate (Spiers, 2003).

Relaxation

Tensing one’s muscles is a characteristic of an individual who is under stress. “Progressive Relaxation”, a program designed by an American physician named Edmund Jacobson in the 1920’s, was meant to counter this muscle tension to aid in easing stress. Jacobson’s principle was that by shutting one’s responses to both internal and external stimuli, one could diminish anxiety. Jacobson’s technique involved identifying the muscle groups in the body and knowing when they are tense by tensing them momentarily and releasing the pressure on them. Biofeedback is a modification of this technique (Fried, 2008).

Physiological Approaches

Physiological approaches to handle the physical symptoms of stress that can be felt in the body. Symptoms such as increased heart rate and arousal are reduced by exerting physiological methods (Lehrer, Woolfolk, & Sime, 2007).

Biofeedback

Subtle changes within the human body, such as blood pressure, cannot be detected by the average human being as the human body is not designed to convey such biological information to the brain (Cotton, 1990). A biofeedback machine can provide all this information to enable one take the necessary steps to mitigate stress levels. The biofeedback machine produces accurate and precise information (known as feedback), such as blood pressure and heart rate, and depicts it in audio, visual or both. A TV monitor with a falling and rising line shows the heart rate changes with a beeping tone indicating the pace.

Exercise and Physical Activity

When the body is put under stress or in a stressful environment, it collects energy that bundles up in specific pressure points along the nervous system. This pressure can lead to adverse physical impacts should it not be expelled in due time (Hiriyappa, 2012). By exercising and engaging in physical activity burn up the bundled energy that the body is mobilizing, and in effect strengthening the muscles, improving blood circulation and reducing the sugar levels. Apart from the physical advantages, therapeutic advantages such as boosting self-esteem and decline in depression are evident with sustained exercise and physical activity. In the modern day workplace, simple office workouts at one’s work station have been developed without one having to leave their station. Exercise during the breaks such as lunch hour breaks also complete the task and ensures one can concentrate on work and be more effective and productive in the long-run.

In conclusion, stress has progressively become prevalent in children within the United States over the past two decades. As children become increasingly exposed to traumatic events in their developmental stage in life, the development of future generation is at risk.

Works Cited

Bethell, Christina D, et al. “Adverse Childhood Experiences: Assessing The Impact On Health And School Engagement And The Mitigating Role Of Resilience.” Health Affairs 33.12 (2014): 2106-2115. Online Source. 24 April 2015. <http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/33/12/2106.full>.

Cotton, D. H. Stress Management: An Intergrated Approach to Therapy. Psychology Press, 1990.

Fried, M. Robert. StressManagement for Success in the Workplace. 2nd. East Coast Massage Services, 2008.

Global Organization for Stress. “Stress Facts.” 25 February 2013. Global Organization for Stress. 25 February 2013. <http://www.gostress.com/stress-facts/>.

Hiriyappa, B. Stress Management: Leading to Success. Bloomington: Booktango, 2012.

Lehrer, M. P., R. L. Woolfolk and V. E. Sime. Principles and Practice of Management. New York: The Guilfordd Press, 2007.

Spiers, C. Tolley’s Managing Stress in the Workplace. Chippenham: Reed Elsevier, 2003.

Thompson, Ross A. “Stress and Child Development.” The Future of Children 24.1 (2014): 41-59. Electronic Source. 24 April 2015. <http://futureofchildren.org/futureofchildren/publications/docs/24_01_02.pdf>.