THE stress, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a state of worry or mental tension in situations of adversity, worries about possibly having transmissible activity among living beings, including humans.
ANDAlthough it is a natural reaction of the body, health entities are aware of its effects on physical and mental health, in addition to the high levels of stress in the population.
Brazil, for example, was named the fourth most stressed country in the world, according to a report released last Monday (14).
THE CNN Brazil spoke with mental health experts to understand more about the mechanisms of stress contagion.
Why can stress be transmitted?
Research carried out in recent years has investigated how stress can be transmitted between living beings.
In 2018, a study carried out with mice and published in the journal “Nature Neuroscience”, for example, analyzed the neural reactions of animals subjected to stress (with small shocks to the paws) and others that were not stressed.
The research showed that the mice in the second group, even without having been subjected to stress, began to produce corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) — a substance that contributes to the regulation of stress.
Even though it was carried out with mice, psychologist Amanda Rangel says the study offers valuable insights into understanding the biological mechanisms underlying the transmission of stress.
“Mice are often used in behavioral and neurological research due to the similarity of their nervous systems to those of humans,” he explains.
Another study, this time on humans, reviewed work that aimed to analyze the so-called “stress contagion” based on the physiological activity of two or more people subjected and not induced to stress, and who also maintained close coexistence.
Published in the journal “Psychoneuroendocrinology” in 2019, the study with humans showed the physiological transmission of stress between individuals, even when they are not directly exposed to it.
This transmission, according to the authors, occurs through the activation of neurobiological processes that lead to an increase in cortisol levels and sympathetic activity.
According to neuroscientist Ana Carolina Souza, this observed transmission of stress (and other emotions) can be explained based on two premises:
- We are social animals and we are constantly processing information that is passed (unconsciously) from one person to another;
- Emotions are sets of pre-defined responses that help coordinate behavior in an adaptive way in the face of everyday challenges and situations.
“Thinking about these two variables together, we can understand that internally simulating another person’s stress response would help the individual to identify possible risks in a given environment, serving as a clue to adopt more efficient behaviors to protect ourselves from these threats. This would be an adaptive behavior and would favor our survival”, explains the scientist.
Situations that encourage the spread of stress
According to psychologist Amanda Rangel, the transmission of stress between human beings can occur in family, professional and other areas of life, exacerbating conflicts, decreasing the ability to empathy and harming collective well-being.
“This phenomenon is frequently observed in work environments, where a stressed leader can negatively influence the entire team and create a cycle of anxiety and decreased productivity,” says the expert.
Furthermore, in family relationships, parental stress can affect children’s behavior and emotional development.
“The smaller the child, the more vulnerable they are to this stressful situation”, points out Danielle H. Admoni, researcher and supervisor at the Psychiatry residency at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp/EPM) and specialist at the Brazilian Psychiatric Association (ABP ).
Could we have a stress epidemic?
When we talk about contagion, we immediately think about the transmission of viral diseases, such as the flu.
Stress, however, would not be able to spread with the speed or dimension that a real epidemic would, in Ana Carolina Souza’s view.
For Amanda Rangel, however, “it is possible to talk about an epidemic of stress in the modern context”.
The psychologist points to factors such as digital hyperconnectivity, financial insecurity, growing social and professional demands and the impact of global crises (such as pandemics and wars) as influencing an escalation of stress in the general population.
“If we consider stress as a phenomenon that can be transmitted from one person to another, close coexistence with stressed individuals can amplify the problem in social groups,” he says.
“The result is a vicious cycle, in which stress is constantly fed and retransmitted, creating a kind of emotional contagion that affects large portions of society.”
How to control stress?
Some practices that help mitigate the effects of stress are:
- learn to identify and regulate your own emotions;
- develop empathy;
- practice meditation, deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation;
- find a strong support network (in the family environment and at work);
- create a collaborative work environment and encourage work-life balance;
- make small 15 minute breaks between work activities;
- seek to maintain a routine of activities that generate pleasure (hobbies);
- maintain good sleep hygiene (healthy practices that contribute to good quality and duration of sleep) and a balanced and healthy diet.
This content was originally published in Brazil is the 4th most stressed country in the world: can the problem be contagious? on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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