Health consequences of stress and coping strategies: WACE Year 12 Psychology Unit 4
“Health related consequences of stress: maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies”
Prolonged stress keeps the body's stress response active, which can lead to health problems such as weakened immunity, headaches, sleep problems, high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as anxiety and depression. Adaptive coping strategies reduce stress without causing further harm (exercise, social support, problem-solving, relaxation, good sleep). Maladaptive coping strategies may bring short-term relief but make things worse over time (avoidance, alcohol or drug use, withdrawal, overeating, rumination).
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What this dot point is asking
You need to describe health consequences of stress, distinguish adaptive and maladaptive coping, and recommend or evaluate strategies for a scenario.
Health related consequences of stress
| Short term | Long term (chronic stress) | |
|---|---|---|
| Physical | Headaches, muscle tension, upset stomach, fatigue, disturbed sleep | Weakened immune function and more infections, high blood pressure, heart disease, digestive problems |
| Psychological | Irritability, poor concentration, anxiety, low mood | Anxiety disorders, depression, burnout |
| Behavioural | Changes in eating, withdrawing from others, procrastinating | Substance misuse, ongoing sleep problems |
These consequences follow the pattern in the GAS: the longer the resistance stage lasts, the more the body's resources are drained and the higher the risk of illness in exhaustion.
Adaptive and maladaptive coping
Adaptive coping strategies help a person deal with the stressor or their reaction to it, and support long-term health.
- Problem-focused: planning and time management, seeking information, asking for help, tackling the problem step by step.
- Emotion-focused: physical exercise, relaxation and slow breathing, mindfulness, talking to supportive people, keeping a healthy sleep routine, reframing the situation more positively.
Maladaptive coping strategies may reduce distress briefly but do not solve the problem and can create new ones.
- Avoidance and procrastination, which let the stressor grow.
- Using alcohol, tobacco or other drugs.
- Social withdrawal and isolation.
- Overeating or undereating.
- Rumination (repeatedly dwelling on the problem).
- Excessive screen use late at night, which also disrupts sleep.
A strategy is adaptive if it reduces stress without harming health or creating new stressors. The same activity can shift from adaptive to maladaptive: a short break is adaptive, but endless avoidance is not.
A nurse on night shifts
Sam, a nurse, works rotating night shifts, sleeps poorly, drinks several coffees a shift and several beers after work to unwind, and has stopped seeing friends.
- Maladaptive strategies: alcohol to unwind (disrupts sleep quality and can harm health), withdrawing from friends (removes social support), excess caffeine (worsens sleep).
- Likely consequences: poorer immune function, fatigue, low mood and risk of anxiety or depression.
- Adaptive alternatives: regular exercise before shifts; a consistent pre-sleep routine and a dark, quiet room during the day; limiting caffeine late in the shift; arranging regular contact with friends on days off; talking to a supervisor about roster changes (problem-focused).
Marker's note: label each strategy as adaptive or maladaptive, explain why, and link it to health.
- Calling all emotion-focused coping maladaptive
- Exercise and seeking social support are emotion-focused and adaptive.
- Listing strategies without explaining
- Say how each strategy affects the stressor, the stress response or health.
- Ignoring context
- A recommendation should suit the person's situation and the type of stressor.
Exam-style questions
Questions in the style of SCSA exam questions on this dot point, each with a worked answer. They are written by ExamExplained unless tagged "Past paper"; the year shows the paper a question is modelled on.
Original6 marksDistinguish between adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies, and explain two health consequences that could follow if a person relies on maladaptive coping during a long period of stress.Show worked answer →
Two marks for the distinction and two marks for each health consequence.
- Distinction
- Adaptive coping strategies reduce stress in ways that are helpful and do not cause further harm, such as exercise, seeking social support or problem-solving. Maladaptive coping strategies may give short-term relief but do not deal with the stressor and can create new problems, such as avoidance, alcohol use or social withdrawal.
- Consequence 1
- The stress response stays active for longer, so stress hormones such as cortisol remain high, suppressing the immune system and making infections more likely.
- Consequence 2
- Maladaptive strategies can damage health directly: heavy alcohol use can harm the liver and disrupt sleep, and withdrawal from friends can increase the risk of anxiety and depression.
Original4 marksRecommend two adaptive coping strategies for a Year 12 student who feels overwhelmed before exams and explain why each would help.Show worked answer →
Two marks for each strategy, named and justified.
Time management and planning (problem-focused). Breaking study into a timetable of small tasks addresses the stressor directly, increasing the student's sense of control and making demands seem manageable.
Regular physical activity (emotion-focused). Exercise uses up the energy mobilised by the stress response, lowers physiological arousal and improves mood and sleep, so the student feels calmer and can study more effectively.
Practise this
Sources & how we know this
- Psychology ATAR course Year 12 syllabus (effective from 1 January 2024) — School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA)
- Psychology ATAR course: syllabus and support materials — SCSA
- Past ATAR course examinations — SCSA