The title of the infographic is, Thinking Critically About: Stress and Health
The Learning Objective Question reads, So, does stress cause illness?
In the center of the infographic is an illustration of a sad woman with clenched hands against both cheeks, eyes closed. The large text, Release of stress hormones is across the top of her head.
Around this image is a flowchart consisting of boxes with text and illustrations. The first box is on the left of the woman’s head and is divided into two halves. The upper half has the text, Anger, pessimism, or depression, and has illustrations of flames, dark clouds, and a half empty cup. From this box-half runs an arrow pointing to the center text on the woman’s head, Release of stress hormones. This indicates that Anger, pessimism, or depression can lead to the release of stress hormones.
The lower box-half has the text, Persistent stressors. The illustrations are overdue bills, a gravestone, and a pinkslip with the words you’re fired. From this lower box-half runs an arrow also pointing to the center text, Release of stress hormones. This indicates that persistent stressors can lead to release of stress hormones.
From the box that includes both halves, an arrow points to another box at the top of the box-circle around the woman’s head. The text in this box reads, Unhealthy behaviors (smoking, drinking, poor nutrition, sleep loss), which contribute to illness and disease. The illustrations are an open soft-drink bottle, an open bag of chips, and a lit cigarette. This indicates that anger, pessimism, depression, and persistent stressors can lead to unhealthy behaviors as well as the release of stress hormones.
From the Unhealthy behaviors box runs an arrow pointing to three boxes along the right side of the woman’s head. The text in the first box reads, Autonomic nervous system effects (headaches, high blood pressure, inflammation), and there is an illustration of a blood pressure monitor showing a reading of one hundred seventy five over one hundred five.
The second box text reads, Immune suppression, and there is an illustration of a medical thermometer with the reading of one hundred and two degrees.
The third box text reads, Heart disease, and there is an illustration of a heart surrounded by blurry gray.
This indicates that anger, pessimism, depression, and persistent stressors lead to the release of stress hormones, unhealthy behaviors, autonomic nervous system effects, immune suppression, and heart disease.
From the center text, Release of stress hormones, runs a line with three arrows pointing at the three boxes along the right side of the woman’s head. The first box being Autonomic nervous system effects; the second box being Immune suppression; and the third box being Heart disease.
This indicates that the release of stress hormones also leads to autonomic nervous system effects, immune suppression, and heart disease.
At the bottom of the infographic, in large, bold type, the text reads, Stress may not directly cause illness, but it does make us more vulnerable, by influencing our behaviors and our physiology.