Final Project: Identifying the Population Served

Imagine if every stressor you encounter were to cause you to throw a punch or run and hide. Most people can recall encountering others whose response seemed a little extreme for the stressful moment at hand. Just like there are various manifestations of stress, there needs to be various strategies for managing stress. Stress management includes cognitive and behavioral interventions to teach adaptive coping strategies. Training may include relaxation exercises, assertiveness training, goal setting, sleep hygiene, time management, conflict management, or cognitive restructuring. Researchers have discovered that stress management interventions not only help you navigate a stressful situation but they also seem to balance the immune system disorders that are associated with stress. For example, relaxation techniques have shown to be effective in suppressing viral outbreaks. Guided imagery, for example, has been found to be effective in enhancing immune function for those with herpes. Also, stressed medical students who use relaxation techniques have better functioning immune systems during exam periods when compared to a control group. Stress management techniques enhance the effectiveness of immunizations and reduce the autoimmune response of asthma. Practicing stress management techniques leads to lowered levels of depression, negative mood, and morning cortisol levels.

While there are specific stress management techniques proven to be effective, this does not relieve health psychology professionals from finding the most suitable stress management strategies for their clients and the specific stressors from which they suffer. As mentioned in this week’s Discussion, there are a variety of cultural, biological, and environmental factors impacting how populations respond to stress. As a result, there has been a great deal of research conducted on stress management for specific populations. The outcome is a list of topics included in stress management educational sessions that differ by population. Training may include a variety of strategies such as productive versus nonproductive coping, time management, and goal setting. Since one strategy may not effectively relieve all types of stress response, participants in stress management workshops may be taught an array of different strategies from which to choose.

For this assignment, research a population for which you would like to create a stress management workshop. Then find four articles in the Walden Library related to stress management techniques appropriate for the types of stress your population faces.

The Assignment (3–5 page APA-formatted essay)

Your Final Project in this course is to develop a stress management presentation/workshop for a population of your choice including a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, three handouts, an evaluation form, and a supporting evidence-based descriptive narrative. This week’s assignment serves as the foundation for the deliverables of your Final Project.

• Select and describe a target population.
• Explain common stressors and related health issues for this population.
• Select and empirically support three stress management strategies.
• Explain why these strategies are appropriate for the target population.

Support your Final Project assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are to provide a reference list for all resources, including those in the Learning Resources for this course.

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