Recently, several studies have implicated the social context during a traumatic experience in susceptibility to, and severity of, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although the precise mechanisms through which the social context affects the development of PTSD are unknown, it has been suggested that the neuropeptides oxytocin and β-endorphin may play a key role in this dynamic through their effects on both the locus coeruleus and the mesocortical and mesolimbic dopamine systems.

This experiment aims to identify in how far a formal social position, endowed by a recognised authority, modulates the stress response in cadets at the Czech military academy during a highly stressful training exercise.

As part of survival training, 40 cadets partake in a simulation of an avalanche. Although the maximum duration of the experience (being buried under snow) is 15 minutes, most cadets do not last longer than a few minutes with a significant portion requesting termination after a matter of seconds. During the experience, participants are fitted with a heart-rate and heart-rate variability monitor and tested before and after for pain resilience (a common proxy measure for β-endorphin). Participants are randomly allocated to have their individual scores or the average of their collective scores (in small groups of 5) incorporated in their final evaluation of the exercise.

Not all data has been collected yet.

We expect to see a difference in resilience (measured in duration) between the two groups which is mirrored in the afore mentioned biomarkers.