Empathic stress in the family system

心理社会压力是现代社会的一个公共卫生问题。慢性应激诱发的疾病过程在很大程度上是由下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺(HPA)轴和交感-肾上腺-髓质系统的激活所介导的。此前，申请者已经表明，经历压力并不局限于自己的挑战。个人似乎与他们的同理心能力有关，他们也会与其他人的压力反应产生共鸣。这种压力共鸣表现为积极应激者和观察者之间HPA轴末梢激素皮质醇的比例分泌。压力共鸣的可能性随着两个相互作用的个体之间关系的密切而增加。急性生理应激反应可能是适应性的，因为它可以作为迫在眉睫的危险的警告，或者动员能量来支持受压力的个人。然而，慢性压力共振可能会给接受者带来健康风险，特别是对高度同理心的个人。当前项目的首要目标是深入了解社会关系中的压力传递现象。由于家庭成员特别亲密，因此容易经历压力共鸣，考虑到母子纽带的重要性，我们将只关注母子二元。WP 1将评估儿童在观察母亲处于压力状态时的生理压力共鸣的发生情况。此外，还将考察压力共鸣对儿童执行功能和情绪调节的影响。WP2将重点研究皮质醇应激共振的机制.我们计划调查母亲面部表情的作用和孩子对面部表情的模仿，以及视角选择和特质移情(情感分享)能力的贡献。WP 3将捕捉WP 2中测试的母子二人组日常生活中依赖压力和同理心的皮质醇协方差。这将说明压力传递过程在现实世界中的适用性。这也将有可能探索健康结果和行为调节器的每日皮质醇协变性在预先测试的儿童。在这种协同作用丰富的合作中，两位首席研究人员将在两个实验室地点为年轻科学家提供培训。我们的研究结果将首先促进我们对压力在家庭中传递的意义和机制的理解。在这样做时，它们将为制定保护弱势群体免受长期压力共鸣的负面影响的方法提供基础。

Psychosocial stress is a public health concern in modern society. Chronic stress-induced disease processes are, in large part, mediated by the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary system. Previously, the applicants have shown that experiencing stress is not limited to one’s own challenges. Seemingly linked with their capacity for empathy, individuals also resonate with other people’s stress responses. This stress resonance is demonstrated by a proportional secretion of the HPA axis end hormone cortisol between the actively stressed and the observing individual. The likelihood of stress resonance increases with the intimacy of the relationship between the two interacting individuals. Acute physiological stress resonance may be adaptive in that it serves as a warning of imminent danger or mobilizes energy to support the stressed individual. Chronic stress resonance, however, may come with a health risk for the receiver, especially for highly empathic individuals. The overarching goal of the current project is to gain insight into the phenomenon of stress transmission in social relations. Because family members are particularly close and therefore prone to experience stress resonance, and given the significance of the mother-child bond, we will focus exclusively on the mother-child dyad. WP 1 will assess the occurrence of physiological stress resonance in children observing their mothers in a stressful situation. Further, the consequences of stress resonance for children’s executive function and emotion regulation will be examined. WP 2 will focus on the mechanisms underlying cortisol stress resonance. We plan to investigate the role of facial expressions in mothers and the mimicry thereof in children, as well as the contribution of perspective taking and trait empathy (affect sharing) capacities. WP 3 will capture stress- and empathy-dependent cortisol covariance in the everyday lives of the mother-child dyads tested in WP 2. This will speak to the real-world applicability of stress transmission processes. It will also be possible to explore health outcomes and behavioural modulators of diurnal cortisol covariation in the pre-tested children. In this synergistically rich cooperation, the two principal investigators will offer young scientists training across two laboratory sites. Our results will first and foremost advance our understanding of the significance and mechanisms of stress transmission in the family. In doing so, they will provide the basis for developing approaches to protect vulnerable populations from the negative impact of chronic stress resonance.