PSY111 Assignment 2: Health, Stress, and Coping Analysis

This assignment explores the concepts of health, stress, and coping, incorporating psychological theories and real-world applications. Exercise 1 focuses on the theory of reasoned action, analyzing its influence on health behaviors, such as HIV/AIDS prevention, and its limitations, including the conside...Read More

Running head: HEALTH, STRESS AND COPING
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Health, Stress and Coping
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Exercise 1
Task 1
Ajzen, I. (2017). Prediction and change of health behavior: Applying the reasoned action
approach. Psychology Press.
Hale, J. L. (2012). The theory of reasoned action. The persuasion handbook: Developments in
theory and practice, 14, 259-286.
Task 2
The theory of reasoned action helps explain how the effects humans take are related to
behaviors and attitudes. It predicts how people will behave depending on their intentions and the
attitudes they have towards what they are about to do (McEachan, 2016). An individual will first
combine the two factors before acting. The theory shows that action will be performed by an
individual, depending on how strong the intentions are to perform this action. According to this
theory, every behavior is a result of intention.
Health behavior, on the other hand, refers to several combined actions performed by a
person who is not ill to make sure their bodies remain healthy. They are actions that individuals
take to make sure they remain healthy even in the danger of an outbreak. The actions that one
takes determine whether you get sick or not. Every health worker insists on health behaviors.
The theory of reasoned action and heath behaviors are therefore related as you will need
intentions to take action on preventing yourself from getting sick. The theory can be applied in a
number of health behavior cases, for example, in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. HIV is a
dangerous disease that kills if not well maintained. It is passed from one person to another
through body fluids such as blood and semen. Everybody can get the disease if he or she doesn't

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use good preventive measures. Some of the measures that prevent the spread of HIV are using
condoms during sex. Moreover, the effective way to prevent the spread of HIV is through
abstaining from sex if that would be possible.
Abstain from sex is a decision that some people do not like. Most people use condoms to
prevent themselves from getting pregnant but not for sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.
Once they take pills that prevent getting pregnant, then they assume that all is well, and they
don't have to use condoms anymore. This causes the spread of STDs. Using condoms is a health
behavior, while the decision of whether to use them is determined using reasoned action. The
intentions affect the action of whether to use condoms or not. This is just one example of how
reasoned action is used to promote healthy behaviors. The intention of making sure you remain
healthy together with the attitude you have towards the action and the effects of the action
combine together to help you make a decision concerning health behaviors.
Task 3
There are some limitations associated with the application of the theory of reasoned
action in health behaviors (Hale, 2012). One of the limitations is the fact that the theory only
focuses on the intention of performing an action and doesn't consider other factors such as
resources and opportunities to complete the action. Intention and attitude are two important
factors in action, but you need resources to use and also a chance where to do the action. In our
example above, you need the actual condoms to use them (Ajzen, 2017). Will is not everything
in action.
The theory also doesn't consider other variables that are involved in decision making
other than intention and attitude, such as threat, fear, mood, and experiences of past events.
Sometimes one might not do a health behavior action due to fear of the action or even the threat

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the action poses. The theory does not consider this factor, therefore, leading to failure in the
application of this theory in health behavior
The theory also operates under the assumption that the decision-making process is linear;
however, sometimes, the decision change with time. Sometimes we change our decisions as we
stay and see some of the results or effects. In health behavior, the theory assumes that once you
make that decision once due to an intention that you have, it assumes that you will keep making
the same behavior decision forever (Fishbein, 2018). This is inconsiderate as sometimes we
change our decisions.
The theory doesn't consider the environmental and economic factors that will be as a
result of the actions. It only involves intention and attitude without consideration of the effects.
Some actions might be good in health behaviors but lead to economic collapse or negative
effects on the environment.
Exercise 2
Task 1
The article is about a survey done by university students from two large universities in
Australia to provide data intended to show the extent to which mental health has affected
university students internationally. The survey was web-based. The anxiety-mood disorders of
all the participants were recorded. More than six thousand students participated. 19 % of the
students were recorded to have mental disorders, while 67.4% had symptoms of sub syndrome
(Stallman, 2010). Compared to the general population, these were very high rates. This stress
brought about lower performance in academics. Some of the stresses were caused by financial
issues, while others were due to gender. This survey was evidence of the prevailing mental
health issues among university students all over. The study advised on early intervention to help

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control the mental health issues in university students. Just as it has been discussed in the
anxiety-mood disorders it requires personal accountability and responsibility. It is directed by
how individuals take action towards the fulfillment of a certain aspect of life.
Task 2
The study identified various ways by which students used to cope with their mental
issues. Some students sought social support from their friends, families, and specialists in
psychology. Others used ways such as escape avoidance and problem-solving. Escape behaviors
are where you assume that problems do not exist by avoiding them. Most students use tobacco,
alcohol, and cannabis to help them forget the depth of their issues to avoid stress and depression.
Some of the results of avoidance were physical inactivity and poor performance in their studies.
In extreme cases, some students opt to commit suicide so as to get rid of such mental issues and
this has been an issue in most of the university students across the world.
Task 3
Caution should be taken because not all university students come from the same
background. Some come from wealthy families; therefore, less financial stress while others have
to work when they are not in school to get money for the course fees. There should be some
consideration of such students who really strain so much in getting their financial support in
school. Generalizing these findings will be assuming that all the students are the same. This will
be many disadvantages to the students who come from humble backgrounds because they will be
able to afford some of the services and their basic needs in school. It would cause some mental
torture to students or even mental conflict of the students considering that some have to strain so
much to get at least something to support their studies. Some students also come from families

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with a history of mental illness such as bipolar disease. These students have higher chances of
getting mental disorders more than normal university students. Some of the suicides of university
students are associated with some of these psychological problems. It should be known that
students in the universities face a lot of challenges especially associated with their home
background. Therefore, the findings should be categorized according to the group of people and
their backgrounds and their financial abilities. There should be no sort of categorizing the
students equally because all students in the students are not equal financial and other needs.
There should be sufficient evidence to support how the students can be helped in dealing with
their mental problems and social factors affecting their concentration in schools.
Task 4
According to the article, the number of students with mental issues is increasing in the
whole world. The study was done at the University of Okinawa. Four hundred students
participated in the study, and all of them were undergraduates. Some of the factors that were
discovered to be causing these mental health issues were self-esteem, year in school, financial
problems, and resiliency (Bayram, 2018). The study helped understand the factors that contribute
to stress in university students. The study also showed that administrations in universities should
start programs in school that will help reduce stress in students. This is an indication that the
findings and studies should reflect how the mental issues with the students should be taken care
of and the cause of the same should be determined so as to come up with the frameworks to curb
them. Most of the students were found to have difficulties in maintaining class hours and having
a job to help cover tuition fees.
Task 5

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Bayram, N. (2018). The prevalence and socio-demographic correlations of depression, anxiety
and stress among a group of university students.Social psychiatry and psychiatric
epidemiology, 43(8), 667-672.
Stallman, H. M. (2010). Psychological distress in university students: A comparison with general
population data. Australian Psychologist, 45(4), 249-257.

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References
Ajzen, I. (2017). Prediction and change of health behavior: Applying the reasoned action
approach. Psychology Press.
Bayram, N.(2018). The prevalence and socio-demographic correlations of depression, anxiety
and stress among a group of university students.Social psychiatry and psychiatric
epidemiology, 43(8), 667-672.
Fishbein, M. (2018).A reasoned action approach to health promotion. Medical Decision Making,
28(6), 834-844.
Hale, J. L. (2012). The theory of reasoned action. The persuasion handbook: Developments in
theory and practice, 14, 259-286.
McEachan, R. (2016). Meta-analysis of the reasoned action approach (RAA) to understanding
health behaviors. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 50(4), 592-612.
Stallman, H. M. (2010). Psychological distress in university students: A comparison with general
population data. Australian Psychologist, 45(4), 249-257.

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