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Stress and Health

Code: 102594
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Psychology OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Tatiana Rovira Faixa
Email :
tatiana.rovira@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Silvia Edo Izquierdo
Guillermo Parra Lorenzo

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Those specific skills worked on in previous years, that can best help the development of the course are:

To know how to identify, describe and relate the processes involved in cognitive psychological functions, the biology of human behavior, and to recognize the social dimension of the human being.

And the transversal ones are:

To know how to apply the knowledge, skills and values acquired in a critical, reflective and creative way; and to analyze texts in the field of psychology written in English.

Objectives

The objectives of the course are:

Acquiring an expert knowledge on stress and its relationship with health.
Knowing how to identify contextual and individual triggers of the stress process.
Gaining skills for assessing stress and its impact on wellbeing and health.
Knowing how to classify different types of coping strategies, and analyze their efficency on different contexts.
Distinguishing which research method, among the ones used on stress field, suits to the research objective.
To develop skills on stress and emotions managment.
Having the ability to assess positive versus negative attitudes towards stress and health.

Learning outcomes

  1. Identify the main psychological determinants affecting the development of health problems and ways of tackling them.
  2. Describe the models and contributions of biomedical and bio psychosocial perspectives to an understanding of health.
  3. Identify different assessment instruments and strategies in health psychology.
  4. Apply assessment techniques in health psychology.
  5. Recognise the basics of emotional communication.
  6. Use adequate tools for communication.
  7. Work in a team.
  8. Criticise the effects of personal practice on people, taking into account the complexity of human diversity.
  9. Identify the social, economic and/or environmental implications of academic and professional activities in the area of your knowledge.
  10. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  11. Communicate in an inclusive manner avoiding the use of sexist or discriminatory language.
  12. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  13. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
  14. Analyse the differences for reasons of sex/gender in your own area of knowledge, avoiding bias and discrimination

Contents

1. Stress: the concept.
Historical perspectives. Definition. Explicative models.

2. Stress models: contextual approach.
Prediction, control and conflict. Contextual models of work stress.

3. Stress models: transactional approach.
Primary and secondary appraisal. Coping strategies.

4. Why people react differently to stress?
Personality. Optimsim and personal competence. Social support.

5. Stress' influence on health and disease.
Physiological dynamics. Methodological designs. Stress and cardiovascular system. Stress and immunological system.

6. Stress and cognition.
Anxiety, depression and positive emotions. Attention, perception, memory and thinking.

7. Stress and wellbeing.
Quality of life. Postraumatic growth. Burnout.

8. Stress and emotions managment.
Relaxation techniques, breathing, imagination, and full's consioussness. Stress episodes analysis, commitments and values clarification, active coping and worry control. Personal growth and cognitive reestructuration. Problem solving.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Reading 20 0.8 3, 8, 9, 10
Tutoring group work 4 0.16 7, 9, 14
Conferences (group 1/1) 16 0.64 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10
Activities and exercices (group 1/1) 8 0.32 2, 7, 8, 9, 14
Individual tutoring 2 0.08 6, 9
Group work 15 0.6 3, 5, 7, 9, 13, 14
Study 58 2.32 1, 2, 3, 9
Stress managment seminars (group 1/5) 12 0.48 1, 4, 6, 11, 12
Exercises 12 0.48 8, 9, 10

The teaching methodology (group 1/1) will combine conferences and exercises that will help the students to integrate the acquired knowledge. Activities in classroom will also be done to improve skills in the analysis and application of knowledge. Before each conference students will be required to do a previous reading and/or assignment to be worked in class, according to the flipped-classroom methodology..

In specialized seminar, topic 8 will be developed, simulating a stress management workshop with the students as participants. Between sessions, students will deliver exercises, where the content developed in the corresponding session should be applied to everyday life.

There is also a supervised group work. In this work, students must conduct an interview to someone experiencing a potentially stressful situation, and they will write a report analyzing the case and making specific recommendations. The preparation of the interview (profile of the person interviewed, interview guidelines...) will be guided through classroom indications and follow-up tutorials. Finally, some of the cases will be exposed and discussed in class.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Ev1 and Ev2. Synthesis' tests 70% (35% Ev1; 35% Ev2) 3 0.12 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10
Ev5. Classroom exercises (complement) 5% 0 0 2, 8, 9, 11
Ev3. Supervised work (written report, exposition and/or discussion, follow-up) 15% 0 0 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14
Ev4. Stress' managment seminars 15% 0 0 4, 6, 12, 13, 14

The assessment guidelines of the faculty are accessible at: https://www.uab.cat/doc/DOC_PautesAvaluacio_2026. The presentation of the translation of the statements of the in-person assessment tests will be carried out if the requirements established in Article 263 of the academic regulations are met and the request is made in week 4 online (e-form; more information on the faculty website).

Ev1 and Ev2: There will be two written synthesis tests (one on each week of assessment). The Ev1 assess knowledge on the first part of the subject. The Ev2 assess knowledge on the second part of the subject. Tests include open questions with short answers, both theoretical and of application to cases and examples.

Ev3: The competences acquired through the supervised work will be assessed based on the written group report, that must be submitted in week 13 (in a specific date that will be informed), the oral session of exposition and/or discussion carried out in the last directed teaching session, and the follow-up (supervision of preparation of the interview script).

For the Ev3, beyond other specifications that may be given in the virtual classroom for each phase of the work, the use of AI is only allowed as a support tool in tasks such as information search, linguistic correction, style correction or translation of texts, and taking into account that the final result of the work must reflect a significant contribution of the student in personal analysis and reflection. It will be necessary to clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how they have influenced the process and the result of the activity. The non-transparency of the use of AI will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in cases of severity.

Ev5: This evidence will be assessed based on the exercises done in classroom. This 5% of the grade will only be added to the final grade when the course is PASSED, and with a maximum grade of 10.

Feedback on the evidence:

After the first synthesis test (Ev1) in week 10, general feedback will be given in class, and review tutorials will be scheduled if requested by the student. After the second synthesis test (Ev2), a review-tutorial session will be scheduled in week 20.

For the supervised assignments (Ev3), general feedback will be given in class in week 14. The evidence from the specialised seminars (Ev4) will receive individual feedback via Moodle in the weeks following their submission.

Once each of these review periods is closed, the corresponding grade for that period will be considered final.

NOT ASSESSED: Those students who have done evidence with a weight of less than 40% of the final grade will be \"Not assessed.\"

PASS: In accordance with the evaluation guidelines of the Faculty, the course will be considered passed when the final weighted sum of the evidence Ev1, Ev2, Ev3 and Ev4 is equal to or greater than 4.85, provided that a grade of 4 out of 10 has been obtained in the EV1 and EV2. If this last requirement is not met, the final grade will be 4,5. Only if the subject is passed will the 5% grade corresponding to the Ev5 be added, if applicable. The maximum grade that can be obtained in the subject, adding the Ev5, is 10.

RESIT: When the weighted sum of the evidences Ev1, Ev2, Ev3 and Ev4 is between 3.5 and 4.84, those who have completed at least 2/3 of the evidences will be eligible for resit. The resit will consist of a test equivalent to Ev1 and/or Ev 2 not passed. The grade in the resit test will replace the corresponding evidence, and the final grade will be the result of the new weighted sum, provided that the requirement of obtaining at least a 4 out of 10 in them is met. Otherwise, the final grade of the transcript will be the one before the resit. Te Ev5 rating will not be added in the resit phase.


SINGLE ASSESSMENT

Ev1 + Ev2 (35% + 35% of the final grade): There will be a synthesis test, in the second assessment week. Test includes open questions with short answers, both theoretical and of application to cases and examples.

Ev3 (15%): The students doing single assessment can participate in supervised work with a class group, although the evidence will be assessed individually,based on an exercise that will be made available to them and that they must deliver on the day of the synthesis test.

Ev4 (15%): It will be evaluated from the overall evaluation of the individual exercises that are proposed at the end of each session, which must be delivered on the day of the synthesis test, as well as the follow-up of the sessions. To weigh this evidence in the final grade, it is necessary to have attended at least 50% of the sessions.

NOT ASSESSED: Those students who have done evidence with a weight of less than 40% of the final grade will be \"Not assessed.\"

PASS: In accordance with the evaluation guidelines of the Faculty, the subject will be considered passed when the final weighted sum of the evidence Ev1, Ev2, Ev3 and Ev4 is equal to or greater than 4.85, provided that a grade of 4 out of 10 has been obtained in the EV1 and EV2. In the event that this last requirement is not met, the grade of the transcript will be 4,5.

RESIT: When the weighted sum of the evidences Ev1+Ev2, Ev3 and Ev4 is between 3.5 and 4.84, those who have completed at least 2/3 of the evidences will be eligible for resit. The resit will consist of a test equivalent to Ev1+Ev 2. The grade in the resit test will replace the corresponding evidence, and the final grade will be the result of the new weighted sum.

Bibliography

Main References:

Due to the characteristics of the course, most of the bibliography is in the format of updated articles that are provided to students through the virtual classroom. Below are some reference books and articles in the field of study, which serve as a basis for knowledge.

Enrique G. Fernández-Abascal y Francisco Palmero (Eds.) (1999). Emociones y Salud. Barcelona: Ariel.

Jordi Fernández-Castro (2020). Libérate del Estrés. Barcelona: RBA.

Fiona Jones & Jim Bright (2001). Stress. Mith, theory and Research. Harlow (UK): Pearson-Prentice Hall.

Robert M. Sapolsky (2008). ¿Por qué las cebras no tienen úlcera? La guía del estrés. Madrid: Alianza.

Complemenatry References:

Maria Jesús Álava (2003). La inutilidad del sufrimiento. Madrid: La esfera de los libros.

Maria Dolores Avia y Carmelo Vázquez (1998). Optimismo inteligente. Madrid: Alianza editorial.

Enrique G. Fernández-Abascal (Ed.) (2009). Emociones Positivas. Madrid: Pirámide.

Pedro Gil-Monte y José Maria Peiró (1997). Desgaste psíquico en el trabajo: El síndrome de quemarse. Madrid: Síntesis.

Margaret E. Kemeny (2003). The Psychobiology of Stress. Current directions in psychological science, 12(4), 124-129.

Richard S. Lazarus & Susan Folkman (1984). Stress, Appraisal and Coping. New York: Springer (Traducción (1986): Estrés y Procesos Cognitivos. Barcelona: Martínez Roca.).

Richard S. Lazarus (1999). Stress and emotion: A new synthesis. New York, US: Springer Publishing Company.

Michael P. O’Driscoll (2013). Coping with stress: a challenge for theory, research and practice. Stress and Health : Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 29(2), 89–90. doi:10.1002/smi.2489.

Suzanne C. Segerstrom & Daryl B. O’Connor (2012). Stress, health and illness: four challenges for the future. Psychology & Health, 27(2), 128–40. doi:10.1080/08870446.2012.659516.

Jonathan Smith (1993). Understandig stress and coping. New York: MacMillan Publising company.

Carmelo Vázquez y Gonzalo Hervás (2009). La Ciencia del bienestar : fundamentos de una psicología positiva. Madrid: Alianza.

David Alvear (2015). Mindfulness en positivo. Editorial Milenio.

Ausiàs Cebolla. Javier García-Campayo, Javier y Marcelo Demarzo, M. (2014) Mindfulness y ciencia: De la tradición a la modernidad. Madrid: Alianza Ensayo.

Helena Robles y María Isabel Peralta (2007). Programa para el control del estrés. Madrid: Pirámide.

Software

Tools of questionnaires, tasks and other activities of Moodle, to monitor and evaluate classes. Sporadically, also the Kahoot.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 5 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 111 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 112 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 113 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 114 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 511 Catalan first semester morning-mixed