When doctors diagnose a patient’s mysterious pains, sudden sleep difficulties, changes in eating habits, inexplicable migraines or excessive fatigue as psychosomatic, it is easy to apply the layman’s translation of “It’s all in your head.” However, when it comes to these responses to stress, what may be “all in your head” might have a direct impact on what is going on in your body.

With such symptoms as those just described, it is clear that stress, immune function, and depression are linked. For example, those suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder report high levels of depression. Additionally, while you will not find a doctor ordering extensive lab tests to diagnose depression, high levels of cortisol and other stress hormones are found in the blood of the depressed. Also, survivors of early life stress, such as childhood abuse, experience changes in the neurobiology of the brain, making them more vulnerable to depression later in life. Even acute life stressors are known to provoke depression, especially in an environment of poor social support and frequent life crisis. Finally, chronic stress results in lowered immune function and increased incidence of depression. Not only do the relationships between the brain, stress, immune function, and depression exist, but they are bidirectional and complex.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources as well as the “Stress, Depression, and the Immune Response” section of the “Stress, the Immune System, Chronic Illness, and Your Body” handout. Then reflect on the different ways stress, the stress response, and depression are connected. Finally, consider what part depression plays in the immune and inflammatory response systems

1. Depending on your chosen site and the length of your observation, the paper should be no more than six pages pages.

   Observations that demonstrate critical thinking and analysis include components such as

   1. identification of assumptions regarding setting
   2. accurate assessment of behaviors
   3. presentation of corollary positions and perspectives
   4. development of conclusions based on behaviors observed
   5. discussion of potential or actual implications of behaviors
   6. listing of consequences resulting from specific behaviors
   7. posing of critical questions regarding problems or issues that could result from behaviors observed.

   GRADING SCALE FOR OBSERVATION PAPER

EXCELLENT (34-33 Points) – Good location and observation, setting, emotional climate, and demographics clearly stated, description of specific behaviors observed that were related to sexuality, cover sheet, page numbers, 4-6 pages, double-spaced, extraordinarily well written, organized and easy to read, free of errors, supporting cited sources throughout paper (5-6), concluded what happened in the observation, your opinion of what happened, citation in conclusion, reference page, appropriate spelling, written above and beyond what was requested.

GOOD (32-29 Points) – Good location and observation, setting, emotional climate, and demographics clearly stated, description of specific behaviors observed that were related to sexuality, cover sheet, page numbers, 4-6 pages, double-spaced, well written, organized and easy to read, free of errors, supporting cited sources throughout paper (5-6), concluded what happened in the observation, your opinion of what happened, citation in conclusion, reference page, written above and beyond what was requested.

ABOVE AVERAGE (28-24 Points) – Adequate description of location and observation, setting, emotional climate, and demographics clearly stated, description of specific behaviors observed that were related to sexuality, cover sheet, page numbers, requirement for pages missing, double-spaced, well written, organized and easy to read, free of errors, missing required supporting cited sources throughout paper (5-6), concluded what happened in the observation, your opinion of what happened, citation in conclusion, reference page,

AVERAGE (23-19 Points) – Adequate but does not have significant detail in description of location and observation, setting, emotional climate, and demographics clearly stated, description of specific behaviors observed that were related to sexuality, cover sheet, page numbers, requirement for pages missing, double-spaced, not easy to read, writing errors, missing required supporting cited sources throughout paper (5-6), concluded what happened in the observation, your opinion of what happened, citation in conclusion, reference page,

BELOW AVERAGE (18-14 Points) – Poorly written, may have significant errors, missing required cited sources, cover sheet, required number of pages and page numbers.

ZERO (13 and below) – Missing most of requirement for paper or failure to submit paper.

DO NOT PUT TABLES OR GRAPHICS IN YOUR PAPER NOR YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS WHO MAY GO WITH YOU TO THE LOCATION.

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU OBSERVE, NOT DEFINITIONS. PAGE REQUIREMENT 4 TO 5 FULL PAGES.

CHOSE TOPIC THAT HAS TO DO WITH HUMAN SEXUALITY