Stress response mechanisms and evidence-based healthcare practice

¶ … Stressor Relates to Emotional Responses

The PowerPoint exhibits that stress stretches across several disciplinary research undertakings. It highlughts how the subject draws a lot of attention from the foregoing of the available studies. Among the areas that have delved in stress related research is the area of socio-psychology. The latter incorporates cognitive theories developed in the recent past. Lazarus & Folkman (1984) present a medical perspective of the subject. This presentation comes in the form of the outcomes from a number of meetings held by psychiatrists in 1984. Several familiar individuals present their issues under circumstances that can convincingly be regarded as stressful. In that respect, it appears as though stress is a necessary inconvenience.

Wear and Tear: an explanation

The PowerPoint also shows how the occurrence of stress involves a two way communication between the cardiovascular, the brain, immune and connected systems through endocrine and neural systems. Some events in life, apart from the typical "fight or flight" response to severe cases of stress, produce chronic stress that leads to wear and tear ("allostatic load") of body cells and systems in general. On the other hand, it is known that the hormones related to stress experiences help the body to adapt ("allostasis") to new situations and protect it in the short-term. The brain is a clear target for stress effects. It was noted at first that the hypocampus is the brain region beside the hypothalamus, to be a targeted by glucocorticoids. Stress hormones and the actual stress generate varying effects from specific to adaptive outcomes on the brain region throughout one's life. The emotional events that one experiences in early life influence the responsiveness by an individual. They are also known to change the rate of ageing of the body and brain (McEwen, 2007).

3. Steps in the Process of Literature Review

It may seem hard for beginners in research practice. One must define exploration topics, learn how to retrieve and search for relevant literature, learning data analysis and synthesis and crafting the final research report. All these are usually expected to be accomplished within limited time. The article elucidates the literature review process. The central focus of the guide is on the narrative review undertaken as part of the research process or as an assignment in academics; despite the fact that there are leading references to other types of literature review mentioned in passing (Cronin, Ryan, & Coughlan, 2008).

Need for Improvements

i. There are several examples in the Integrated Review presentation process; from which literary sources can be quoted. However what's lacking is detail as there are screenshots of the sources but nothing more. Information on classification of sources and prioritizing should have been availed.

ii. The usual process of quantifying the theoretical aspects in reference materials and in journals is also not addressed and thus needs to be further clarified. In medical parlance, the qualitative research discussion needs to be presented with substantial evidence but more solid and concrete evidence is needed. Substantiating can be done either through experiment or analysis. This aspect has been left out too.

iii. The role of the caregiver is critical and this aspect needs to be further clarified as well. However, students have not been educated in this respect in any of the PowerPoint. Further, there is no supporting information to clarify the topic or related to a better guide in any of the content chosen either. This aspect needs to be further clarified.

iv. Another aspect missing get is that the page dedicated for the implication of the research does not provide reference for backing the stated positions provided in the overall report. This aspect needs to be further clarified, and discussed in the PowerPoint.