Transactional Model of Stress and Coping

Excessive stress can lead to harmful health behaviors. The transactional model of stress and coping is a beneficial method for managing stress and reducing harmful behaviors. This article discusses the effects of stress on health behavior, the application of the transactional model, and the steps involved in coping with stress. It also provides a proposed plan for stress management and social support.

Running head: TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING
TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING
Executive Summary
While a significant amount of stress is required for the performance of daily life activities with
alertness and concentration, excessive stress may lead to harmful symptoms in the physiological
as well as psychological platforms within the individual. Excessive stress often compels one to
undertake health behaviors which are harmful to health. The transactional model of stress and
coping has been documented as a beneficial method of coping with stressor considering the
changing interactions between an individual and his or her environment. For the management of
harmful health behavior of alcohol consumption, the transactional model has been used to chalk
out a plan for the purpose of stress management and garnering social support.

2TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING
Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................3
Discussion............................................................................................................................3
Effect of Stress on Health Behavior................................................................................3
Application of Transactional Model................................................................................4
Primary Appraisal........................................................................................................4
Secondary Appraisal....................................................................................................4
Coping Efforts.............................................................................................................5
Outcomes of Coping (Adaptation)...............................................................................5
Dispositional Coping Styles........................................................................................6
Confidence to Change......................................................................................................6
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................7
References............................................................................................................................8
Appendix: Proposed Plan for Stress Management and Social Support (As designed by the
Author).............................................................................................................................................9

3TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING
Introduction
Stress is the natural response exhibited by the human body during challenging situations
or circumstances which are perceived to be harmful or threatening. While a certain amount of
stress is required for everyday functioning and alertness, excessive stress can lead to harmful
health consequences and performance of harmful behaviors. Hence, adequate management of
stress is of utmost importance for ensuring positive health outcomes (de Frias & Whyne, 2015).
The following paragraphs of this report aim to shed light on the harmful effects of stress
in health and behavior and the usage of the transactional model of stress and coping for the
purpose of reduction of harmful health behaviors. The chosen harmful health behavior is
excessive alcohol consumption and the goal is to use transactional model to reduce this
consumption to acceptable levels as per women.
Discussion
Effect of Stress on Health Behavior
During prolonged periods of lack of treatment, excessive stress can lead to detrimental
symptoms such as loss of sleep, tiredness or fatigue, headaches, muscle spasms, gastrointestinal
disorders, chest pains and tightening, difficulties in breathing and loss of sexual drive. Excessive
stress also leads to detrimental emotional and cognitive changes such as constant feelings of
anger and irritability, inability to concentrate, lack of motivation or optimism, depression and
feelings of restlessness (Dhabhar 2014). Untreated stress further aggravates to performance of
unhealthy behaviors such as frequent conflicts with friends and family, outbursts of irritability
and anger, avoidance of social interactions and preference towards social isolation, excessive or

4TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING
lack of adequate food consumption and adherence to harmful activities such as tobacco smoking
and alcohol or substance abuse (Schönfeld et al., 2016).
Application of Transactional Model
The transactional model of stress and coping, was first formulated by Lazarus and Cohen
in the year 1977, as a method of evaluation of the procedures outlining stress mitigation and
management, through consideration of the interactions occurring between an individual and the
changing environment surrounding him or her (Zimmer‐Gembeck, 2016).
Hence, considering the harmful health behavior of excessive alcohol consumption due to
stress, the transactional model has been used for the purpose of reducing excessive alcohol
consumption to recommended levels, with the help of the following steps (Glanz, 2015):
Primary Appraisal
This step involves accepting and evaluating that presence and magnitude of the stressor
or stressful event which is causing harmful health behavior (Glanz, 2015). Hence, for the
purpose of reducing stress-induced excessive alcohol consumption, primary appraisal will
include evaluation of the stressors which lead to alcohol consumption. If these stressors are
perceived negatively, there ma be feelings of threat or distress.
Secondary Appraisal
This step involves evaluating the magnitude with which the stressful event can be
controlled with the help of available resources meant for coping (Glanz, 2015). Hence, for the
reduction of alcohol consumption, usage of activities aimed at changing or modifying the
stressful event and the distressing emotions associated with it, will lead to improved coping of
distressing situations which lead to conductance of such harmful health behaviors.

5TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING
Coping Efforts
As stated in the Transactional Model, this step involves the usage of strategies which will
lead to mediation of the primary and secondary appraisal, resulting in coping of the stressful
behavior which is leading to excessive alcohol consumption. These include various strategies
such as problem management, emotional regulation and meaning based coping (Glanz, 2015).
For the purpose of reducing harmful behaviors like excessive alcohol, a problem management
coping strategy will be adopted.
Problem Management is a type of coping strategy which aims to directly confront the
problem or the stressful situation leading to the health behavior. Hence, for the purpose of
reducing excessive alcohol consumption, a problem management coping strategy will include
actively targeting the stressful situation resulting in this behavior, obtaining information about
the harmful effects of alcohol and the recommended levels of consumption among women,
chalking out a plan to solve the problem and then communicating with experts or friends for the
purpose of obtaining help and knowledge on eradicating alcohol misuse (Bafghi et al., 2018).
Outcomes of Coping (Adaptation)
This step involves short term and long term implications after adequate management of
the stressful situation and the associated harmful health behavior (Glanz, 2015). Hence, after
successfully managing the concerned stressors leading to reduction of alcohol consumption to
acceptable levels, short term effects may include positive health outcomes in the form of reduced
harmful stress-associated physical and physiological symptoms and long term effects in the form
of increased optimism, emotional wellbeing, healthy functional status and improve coping
abilities of future stressful situations (Fernández-Solà, 2015).

6TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING
Dispositional Coping Styles
This step involves long term adherence and usage of coping strategies which influence
one’s emotional and functional appraisal of future stressors. Types of coping styles include
optimism, benefit finding and information seeking (Glanz, 2015). For the purpose of eradication
of excessive alcohol consumption, the coping style of benefit finding will be used.
Benefit Finding involves identification of positive implications upon successful
management of the stressor and health behavior. Hence, after reduction of alcohol consumption
to recommended levels for women, the coping style of benefit finding will involve reappraising
the stressor in the future by considering the positive health effects associated with limited alcohol
consumption (Graham, 2015).
Confidence to Change
Considering the usage of a transactional model of stress and coping, I am confident that I
will be able to successfully change by health behavior in the presence of stressors in the future,
due to the documented benefits of this model. However, I still lack sufficient confidence to
change since I am unaware of the negative implications associated with alcohol consumption as
well as the recommended levels for females. I also lack adequate confidence to change since I
readily perceive a stressor to be negative and threatening, will compels me to undertake harmful
behavior. However, seeking information and reappraisal of the situation through problem
management and benefit finding coping strategies will allow me to regain and enhance my
confidence to change this health behavior. For this, I have formulated a plan to manage stress
and garner social support (See Appendix).

7TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING
Conclusion
Hence, it can be concluded that the transactional model of stress and coping has been
found to be an effective way to manage one’s emotional and functional response to stressors
leading to changing of harmful health behaviors. Hence, through the usage of the steps
underlying transactional model of stress and coping, I will be able to successfully reduced my
alcohol consumption to recommended levels.

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References
Bafghi, S. M. S., Ahmadi, N., Ardekani, S. M. Y., Jafari, L., Ardekani, B. B., Heydari, R., ... &
Faraji, R. (2018). A Survey of Coping Strategies With Stress in Patients With Acute
Myocardial Infarction and Individuals Without a History of Fixed Myocardial
Infarction. Cardiology research, 9(1), 35.
de Frias, C. M., & Whyne, E. (2015). Stress on health-related quality of life in older adults: The
protective nature of mindfulness. Aging & Mental Health, 19(3), 201-206.
Dhabhar, F. S. (2014). Effects of stress on immune function: the good, the bad, and the
beautiful. Immunologic research, 58(2-3), 193-210.
Fernández-Solà, J. (2015). Cardiovascular risks and benefits of moderate and heavy alcohol
consumption. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 12(10), 576.
Glanz, K., 2015. Health behavior: Theory, research, and practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Graham, L. J. (2015). Integration of the interaction model of client health behavior and
transactional model of stress and coping as a tool for understanding retention in HIV care
across the lifespan. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 26(2), 100-109.
Schönfeld, P., Brailovskaia, J., Bieda, A., Zhang, X. C., & Margraf, J. (2016). The effects of
daily stress on positive and negative mental health: Mediation through self-
efficacy. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 16(1), 1-10.

9TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING
Zimmer‐Gembeck, M. J. (2016). Peer Rejection, Victimization, and Relational Self‐System
Processes in Adolescence: Toward a Transactional Model of Stress, Coping, and
Developing Sensitivities. Child Development Perspectives, 10(2), 122-127.
Appendix: Proposed Plan for Stress Management and Social Support (As
designed by the Author)
Tasks 1st to 3rd
week
4th to 10th
week
11th to
13th week
14th to
17th week
18th to 21st
week
22nd to
23rd week
24th week
Primary
Appraisal:
Identification
of Stressors

Secondary
Appraisal:
Identification
of available
Coping
Resources
 
Coping Efforts:
Problem
Management
 
Problem
Solving on
managing
stressors
leading to
alcohol
consumption
 
Seeking
Information on
Alcohol
Consumption
 
Coping
Outcomes:
Short term
effects
 
Coping
Outcomes:
Long Term
effects

Dispositional
Coping
Outcomes:
 

10TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING
Communicatin
g with
Counselors and
Friends
Benefit Finding
