Prof. Dr Veronika Engert | Stress regulation in the social context: Empathic stress and empathic processes in stress reduction

Psychosocial stress is omnipresent in modern Western societies. While acute stress responses are necessary and adaptive, excessive activation of neurobiological stress systems can predispose an individual to far-reaching adverse health outcomes. Living in a complex social environment, experiencing stress is not limited to challenges humans face individually. Linked with our capacity for empathy, we also display the tendency to physiologically resonate with the stress responses of the people around us. The first part of my talk will deal with this phenomenon of “empathic stress”, and tackle some of the questions it raises. In the second part of my talk, I will shift to research dealing with how we can protect ourselves from the adverse effects of long-term stress exposure, and show results of how long-term mental training can improve not only our empathic abilities, but also reduce stress sensitivity and vulnerability for stress-associated health deterioration.

Poster