It can be argued that stress can be contagious, spreading from one person to another through social and psychological influences. Studies have shown that individuals can be affected by the emotions and thoughts of those around them, especially in close relationships or within a group.
The majority of people will experience stress at some point in their lives. The question is whether stress can transfer from one person to another, and if so, how can we avoid being affected?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain.
A recent study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology has become a topic of discussion among scientists after the authors suggested that stress can spread.
Stress is the body’s response to an unusual situation that affects physical, emotional, and mental well-being. A new study suggests that stress can be contagious – (Image: ASK APOLLO).
According to the authors, simply seeing someone else in a stressful situation can cause our bodies to release cortisol—a hormone associated with the stress response.
The researchers suggest that this phenomenon is termed “empathic stress.”
“It is entirely possible to subconsciously sense the emotions of others, especially negative feelings,” said Tara Perrot, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Dalhousie University in Canada, in an interview with LiveScience.
Emotions can “spread” from one person to another through “mirror neurons,” according to a review in the journal Current Biology.
These brain cells are activated when we see someone performing a specific action—such as yawning—and trigger a response that encourages us to mimic that action. This means that if someone sees another looking tired, they may start to feel tired, and if they see someone appearing stressed, they may inadvertently adopt that state of stress.
Joe Herbert, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Cambridge in the UK, stated: “If someone is panicking and in a state of stress, that panic can spread throughout the community, regardless of whether there is a real cause or not.”
However, Perrot noted that in modern humans, the stress response is often triggered by psychological stressors, causing stress hormones to persist for too long. She explained: “There are many daily troubles that people consider stressful, and the stress response can occur too frequently. This can be harmful to both the body and the brain.”
According to the researchers, activities such as breathing fresh air, practicing mindfulness, and exercising can help mitigate, or at least reduce the impact of stress contagion from others.
Professor Herbert analyzed: “The response to stress is how an individual reacts both emotionally and physiologically (hormones, blood pressure, etc.). They need to find ways to adapt and learn how to manage stress. That is key to protecting oneself from the stress of others.”
