Stress is contagious: You can pass it on even unknowingly

I f your partner is stressed, the chances are high that you may suffer stress too, say researchers, including one of Indian-origin. The study, in mice, also showed that stress alters the brain on a cellular level.

“Brain changes associated with stress underpin many mental illnesses including PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), anxiety disorders and depression. Recent studies indicate that stress and emotions can be ‘contagious’,” said Jaideep Bains, Professor, Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Calgary.

Published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the study involved observing the effects of stress in pairs of male and female mice. One of the test subjects was exposed to a mild stress. The researchers then examined CRH (Corticotropin-releasing hormone) neurons which control the brain’s response to stress, in each of the subjects. It revealed that networks in the brains of both partners altered in the same way. The naive partner, in turn, can alert additional members. of the group.

The researchers also suggested that these findings may also be present in humans. “We readily communicate our stress to others, sometimes without even knowing it. There is even evidence that some symptoms of stress can persist in family and loved ones of individuals who suffer from PTSD,” Bains noted.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK Brain changes associated with stress underpin many mental illnesses