Excellent example of what a poster should look like. This one was for my Health Psychology assignment.

1. Image source: Google images
ADRENAL GLANDS
Cortisol
Source: www.westvalley.edu
STRESS
(cortisol)
MOTIVATION
HEALTH
ENGAGEMENT
CONTROL
MULTI-
SENSORY
INTERVENTION
CARE
QUALITY
MUSCLE
RELAX
HEALTH
(cortisol)
EXERCISE
HEALTH
EDUCATION
EMOTION
CONTROL
COGNITIVE
BEHAVIOUR
THERAPY
SPIRITUALITY
STRESS: Lat. stringere, “strain”
HORMONE: Gr. hormon "that which sets in
motion”
HYPOTHALAMUS: Gr. hypo “under” +
thalamus “vault”
PITUITARY: Gr. “mucus”
ADRENAL: Lat. ad “near” + renal “kidney”
CORTISOL: Lat. cortex ”from
the outer shell” + -ol “oil”
Psychological COPING RESOURCES can be:
 Appraisal-focused (adaptive cognitive)
 Problem-focused (adaptive behavioural)
 Emotion-focused (social support, self-
control, positive re-appraisal, disclaiming,
escape-avoidance, responsibility acceptance)
(Lions&Chamberlain,2006)
PREVIOUS RESEARCH has shown that
specific psychological strategies like
cognitive behavioural therapy, coping
techniques, and emotion control can
fight cortisol effects and, hence, improve
HEALTH. CURRENT RESEARCH has
added previously unknown facts like:
 Persistently high or persistently low
cortisol levels affect health outcomes.
 Stress can begin in the womb from
high maternal cortisol.
 Persistently high cortisol can affect
virtually any organ system and has been
associated with skin conditions,
migraine, high blood pressure, heart
disease, immune-suppression, insomnia,
diabetes, gastrointestinal disease,
asthma, some cancers, and premature
aging.
 Persistently high cortisol can also
cause or worsen psychological diseases
like depression, anxiety, PTSD, burnout
addictions, aggressiveness, chronic
fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
RECOMMENDATIONS for the FUTURE
should cover the following flaws found in the
most recent literature on cortisol andhealth:
 Betterinternalvaliditycontrolof research.
 Longitudinalstudiesto replicateinnovative
researchwith highpotentialof effectiveness,
acceptanceandaffordability.
 Address generalisabilityof studies.
 Eliminatebarriers to theimplementationof
effective,sustainablestudies.
 Actions taken by research institutions to
become community - based psychosocial
healthcentres.
 Creationof an InternationalJournalof
RecentlyImplementedPsychosocialHealth
Studies.
STRESS is any challenge related to both
external and internal factors. External
stressors come from our environment
(nature, society, relationships, job, home).
Internal stressors come from our body
(illnesses, emotions, cognitions, traits).
Individuals ADAPT to stress through
biological and psychosocial COPING
mechanisms. Cortisol regulates biological
adaptation. It is a hormone released by
glands on top of the kidneys in response
to hormones from the brain. This is the
HPA axis. Too high or low cortisol levels
cause disease. This is known as
HOMEOSTASIS dysfunction or balance
alteration of bodily substances.
ACRONYMS: HPA (hypothalamus
pituitary adrenal), PTSD (post-
traumatic stress disorder)
Source: www. sportex.net REFERENCES:
Lyons A.C., & Chamberlain, K. (2006). Health Psychology: A critical
introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
VIRGINIA WESTERBERG 10143519 - MASSEY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY - 2011
Source: www.westvalley.edu
Source: www.westvalley.edu