the stress contagion

Britney Pham, Gaia Charan (C&W Committee 2023)

Only last week I was studying for an exam in my local cafe. With my laptop open, hosting an abundance of annotated pathology slides, it was not a surprise when the waiter who came around with my cappuccino asked, “Looks complicated, what do you study?” There was a sliver of silence Usually I offer a vague, “I’m in the Sciences,” to avoid the commotion that Medicine tends to arouse, but he had already seen my notes and it wasn’t worth blurring over. His response was expected. “You must be so stressed out everyday, I can imagine you have no spare time.” I never know how to react truthfully Yes, sometimes (like this week), I am inundated with exam preparation and looming OCE assessments, but at other times, I am more focused on working to pay my rent, finding time to cook with my friends, and going to the beach with my brother. It’s interactions like these that leave me wondering: Am I stressed enough? Am I taking Medicine seriously? Should I be more intimidated?

If this sounds at all familiar, then have no fear, because you are certainly not alone This anecdote doesn’t suggest that stress is nonexistent in Medicine; we all know that it very well does, and when it does, it exists in a most overwhelming form. But it is undeniable that sometimes this stress is induced by others. This phenomenon is known as the stress contagion effect.

We are all likely to experience second hand stress on a daily basis, as a result of basic empathy. Observing another person ’ s stress has been shown to have a direct impact on our own stress levels, as measured by cardiac activity (Dimitroff, S J 2017), and can be differentiated depending on the demonstration of emotional cues, shown as hand gestures, tone, volume and posture. This empathy is likely to extend further for individuals with whom we spend more time, share more experiences, and are emotionally closer to.

However, the stress contagion effect also exists in a more superficial form, through choice of language and social pressure. Holding a role with set norms and responsibilities, such as that of a medical student, can result in stress being used as a measure of dedication and commitment to one ’ s work (Bolger, N. 1989). It is not at all uncommon to be told, “You should be more worried about your studies,” “You don’t look stressed enough about our upcoming exams, ” or “If you have spare time then you are not making the most of your degree.” Using stress as evidence for conscientiousness can be unproductive but is regrettably prevalent, and while there are external factors and ideals that can be difficult for as individuals to change, there are definitely aspects of this that we perpetuate with our own behaviours.

As early as in first year, most of us will have been told that fourth year is the most stressful year to be a medical student at Monash. The placement hours are longer, the matrix is more extensive, and everything in your universe will inevitably pile up until it is all too much to handle. We can absolutely appreciate that these warnings to people in year levels below are said out of care and camaraderie. However, there are aspects of it that can be detrimental to our experience and enjoyment of our course that are worth considering. Constantly being told that this year of our lives is supposed to be stressful and anxiety-inducing can be affirming at times, but can also make us overly interrogative and sceptical of experiences that do not fit thismould,whichcanbedestructivetoourownenjoyment.

When someone asks how we are finding a certain rotation, the answer they are expecting is often obvious. And if our true feelings stray from that, we won’t always admit it. The more we feel compelled to mask our true sentiments for the sake of conformity, the more we become estranged from our actual thoughts, which can be a very unfortunate occurrence during placement, where the entire point is finding the specialities that appeal to us as individuals. Some might scoff at the idea that it is an issue that people have to downplay the good experiences they are having (at least it has been a good experience!), but this projection of a strict ideal of what people will and will not like continues to perpetuate a culture where we are not comfortable sharing how we really feel, and the worst manifestation of this will be peoplenotwantingtospeakupwhentheydogenuinelystartstruggling

If the stress contagion effect is so widespread and familiar to us all, it begs the question of whether or not there is room for improvement. While there are no be-all end-all solutions to this phenomenon, there are steps we can take as a community to try and facilitate more positive,openexperiencesforthosearoundus:

Having open conversations about our challenges and struggles, and those of the people around us, while also holding space for gratitude and an ability to genuinely celebrate sources ofjoy.

Looking out for opportunities to induce the structural change needed to confront systemic issuesinmedicine,butalsotakingthenecessarytimeawayfromfightingthesefightsinorder to care for our own wellbeing. Striking the balance between being a realistic and supportive mentor or peer: Recognising that our experiences are not universal, and encouraging independent and open-minded decision-making Tailoring our presences and support to the experiencesofthepeoplewearewith,ratherthanimposingourownontoothers.

Like many aspects of life, these are acts that require careful balance, and it is completely acceptable (and expected) for it to take a while to find that equilibrium. At the end of the day, we want to be surrounded by friends who are comforts in times of stress, not sources of it, andthebestwaytoenablethisistobethatkindoffriendourselves. Citations(APA)