A recent study released inTranslational Psychiatryhas discovered that people who have been exposed to war-related trauma and have a strong physical and emotional reaction when seeing others in distress may be more prone to describe symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The results indicate that the ability to empathize with others’ stress—through increased heart rate, perceived stress, and other bodily reactions—might not directly raise the risk of developing PTSD, but could instead show that PTSD symptoms are already present.
A psychological disorder known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur following exposure to a distressing event, including conflict, violence, or forced migration. It typically includes ongoing symptoms such as heightened alertness, recurring memories, emotional withdrawal, and sleep disturbances. Individuals who have fled war or faced persecution, such as refugees and migrants, are especially vulnerable to PTSD due to the trauma they have experienced and the ongoing challenges they encounter during resettlement.
Although not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD, scientists have been studying elements that determine which individuals are more prone to face lasting psychological consequences. An area gaining attention is the concept of “stress resonance,” referring to the degree to which a person experiences the emotional or physical stress of another individual.
This phenomenon, strongly linked to empathy, takes place when witnessing someone else’s suffering causes comparable reactions in the observer’s physical and emotional state. Although empathy can foster bonds and teamwork in social situations, certain researchers have suggested that it might turn detrimental if it results in increased and recurring internal stress responses.
A recent study investigated if increased stress resonance could serve as a risk factor for PTSD, or if it might instead be a result of the condition. The researchers examined refugees and migrants from Arabic-speaking countries who had relocated to Germany, seeking to determine if those who reacted more intensely to others’ stress were more prone to developing PTSD symptoms.
“The research was founded on the concept that individuals vary in the amount of empathy they experience, and these variations could influence whether a person is more susceptible or resistant to war-related trauma,” stated the study’s author.Christiane Wesarg-Menzelof the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Friedrich-Schiller University.
The research involved 67 adult participants from Arabic-speaking nations, with some having arrived in Germany as refugees and others as migrants. Refugees had escaped conflict, violence, or discrimination, whereas migrants had moved for purposes like employment or education and did not experience significant traumatic events. Each participant watched a German-speaking person go through a standardized laboratory stress test that is known to induce both physical and emotional stress.
During this process, participants watched the individual under stress via a one-way mirror while they performed tasks meant to create social-evaluative pressure, such as a simulated job interview and a difficult mental math exercise in front of an assessing group. Throughout the session, researchers tracked various signs of stress in both the person being tested and the observers. These measures included heart rate, heart rate variability, levels of cortisol in saliva, and self-reported feelings of stress.
The objective was to determine if the observers’ reactions aligned with the stress levels of the individual being observed. This level of synchronization, referred to as stress resonance, was determined by analyzing shifts in physiological and emotional indicators between the observer and the person experiencing stress. The researchers subsequently examined how these resonance scores correlated with each participant’s self-reported PTSD symptoms, which were evaluated using a reliable questionnaire.
Initially, the researchers proposed that stress resonance could strengthen the connection between experiencing trauma and developing PTSD symptoms, possibly indicating a characteristic that increases susceptibility in certain people. However, the findings did not back this theory. Rather, the study revealed that greater levels of stress resonance were closely linked to more severe PTSD symptoms, even after considering factors such as trauma exposure, age, and gender.
We began with the assumption that individuals who strongly sense the stress of others would be more prone to mental health issues compared to those who are less responsive, even if both experienced similar traumatic events,” Wesarg-Menzel said to the Muara Digital Team. “However, our findings did not back this theory. Instead, we discovered that people who reported more intense PTSD symptoms showed greater resonance with a stressed stranger. This was evident not only in their self-reported stress levels but also in their heart rate and heart rate variability.
Specifically, a stronger match in subjective stress, heart rate, and heart rate variability between the observer and the person experiencing stress was associated with more intense PTSD symptoms. However, stress resonance based on cortisol levels did not demonstrate a significant connection. The researchers suggest that increased stress resonance might be viewed as a sign or related symptom of PTSD, rather than a prior risk factor.
Further discoveries indicated that certain participants displayed extremely intense physiological reactions when watching the stress test, causing their stress levels to exceed those of the people directly experiencing the test. This occurrence was noted in both refugees and migrants, with no substantial differences between the groups in terms of stress resonance across physiological indicators.
The scientists also discovered that stress resonance had a mild association with self-reported personal distress, a trait-based measure of empathy defined by feelings of discomfort or anxiety when witnessing others’ suffering. This relationship supports the notion that emotional responsiveness to others’ stress could influence the expression of PTSD symptoms.
Notably, the researchers point out that although exposure to trauma was closely associated with PTSD symptoms, it did not correlate with the level of stress resonance. This implies that the resonance effects identified were not simply a result of past traumatic experiences, but instead more directly connected to present psychological symptoms.
Individuals from Arabic-speaking countries who are refugees or migrants have frequently encountered numerous traumatic events, increasing their likelihood of experiencing mental health issues,” Wesarg-Menzel stated. “In our research, we discovered that those who experienced more PTSD symptoms showed a stronger connection with a stranger going through a stress test. This indicates that their heart rate and feelings of stress increased in a manner similar to the stranger’s responses. We think this increased ability to ‘absorb’ someone else’s stress could be a sign of PTSD.
Some constraints exist. The study’s cross-sectional design restricts the capacity to establish causal relationships. It is still uncertain whether increased stress resonance occurs before the onset of PTSD symptoms or if it is a consequence of them. It is also plausible that both develop simultaneously following a traumatic event. Further longitudinal research is required to track the progression of stress resonance and PTSD symptoms over time.
The scientists plan to expand their research by exploring how empathy affects the psychological well-being of young refugees, with a specific emphasis on the contributions of parents and friends.
We aim to extend this research into the family setting,” Wesarg-Menzel stated. “We are currently seeking financial support to investigate how the capacity for empathy among teenage refugees influences their well-being following displacement, and how caregivers and friends can aid in building their resilience. Our ultimate objective is to assist in creating programs that enhance the psychological health of refugees.
I would like to express my gratitude once more to our participants for their involvement in the study, to our Arabic-speaking student assistants for their assistance and insightful suggestions during data collection, and to Beyond Conflict and the Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig for their financial support.
The study, “Increasing the load: the inclination to mirror others’ stress is associated with more severe PTSD symptoms in people who have experienced trauma from war.,” was written by Christiane Wesarg-Menzel, Mathilde Gallistl, Michael Niconchuk, and Veronika Engert.
