Why Some Soldiers Don't Get Battle Stress

War is a jarring thing. The sounds of shells being fires, the sight of comrades getting shot, and the experience of things exploding within one's immediate vicinity can all have a tremendous effect on mental health and stability. It is, therefore, not all that surprising that people who have seen combat are a little jarred, and may not be quite normal. Depression, anxiety, and other disorders are not uncommon side effects of having seen battle, which is why the military has established programs and services specifically to help returning soldiers cope with what's happened to them. However, there are also a few people that, simply put, don't seem at all affected. According to recent research on the matter, certain individuals have lower levels of stress hormones and, as a consequence, don't get stressed.

It is known that some people simply perform better than others when put into a high-stress situation. Some people have the ability to keep cool heads, regardless of what is going on around them. This is true for mundane situations, such as an approaching deadline, and it is true for combat situations, with shells exploring, bullets flying, and all manner of unpleasant sensory data coming in. A recently completed study has managed to find what may be the reason for such behavior, and why not everyone is capable of displaying such calm. There have been some who theorized that this might be more linked to biochemistry than mental health.

According to the study, blood samples taken from soldiers who fared best under levels of extreme stress had lower levels of cortisol and higher levels of neuropeptide y. What does this mean for the average person? It means that the soldier in question had lower levels of a stress hormone, and higher levels of a chemical that is designed to damped the stress response of the body. This means that the body's systems manage to turn down stress levels much better than the average person. Now, the next aim of the research team is to find some way to extend this benefit to those who aren't as cool-headed under stress. Potential benefits for mental health are still undetermined.