Who's Most Likely to Get Stockholm Syndrome?

Is a certain personality type more likely to develop Stockholm syndrome if that person is abducted and held hostage?

After all, it’s incomprehensible how an individual can develop an emotional bond or sympathy with the very person who has stolen their freedom and sexually or physically abuses them, but this phenomenon exists and is called Stockholm syndrome.

It’s fair to speculate that the kind of man or woman (or teenager) who’d form an emotional bond with their abusive kidnapper must be an extremely friendly person; they love all human beings no matter what.

David M. Reiss, MD, a psychiatrist from San Diego, has extensive experience in PTSD.

Dr. Reiss first makes clear that it’s impossible to “scientifically” evaluate the psychological consequences of involuntary captivity (IC) via a “controlled study,” for obvious reasons.

Thus, he explains that theories on IC are based on “after-the-fact evaluation” of victims, and “theoretical analysis” rather than conclusive information.

Plus, once the victim is released, their psychological state has been impacted by intervention, freedom and other variables.

“However, at least theoretically, there is probably a high overlap between what has been termed the Stockholm syndrome occurring in victims of IC and the behaviors of a significant percentage of victims of domestic violence (and unfortunately, the victims of domestic violence are numerous and well-known to mental health practitioners),” explains Dr. Reiss, who over 25 years has worked with perhaps a few thousand victims of domestic violence.

These victims have difficulty, he says, of objectively perceiving their perpetrator and “disengaging from a dysfunctional relationship despite repeated violence.”

Friendliness at Core of Stockholm Syndrome Risk?

“I have found that the most common pre-existing factors are not specific personality traits [e.g., friendliness] as much as factors related to personal psychological maturity,” says Dr. Reiss.

A normal childhood means beginning life completely depending on others for survival and emotional security, absent comprehension of the relationship: the first stage, says Dr. Reiss.

As people grow they become more discerning and independent, yet still believing or hoping that their caretakers are powerful yet benign, making them feel they owe caretakers (usually parents) a “blind allegiance.”

Of course, as people grow up, they see more of the light: imperfections in relationships (i.e., “My parents are SO square!”).

This is the second stage of development.

Though there may be big bumps along the path of growing up, if the providers (parents, grandparents) have been essentially benign and well-meaning, “we move to the point of mature adulthood in which we differentiate between healthy, unhealthy and toxic relationships objectively and we respond appropriately to the circumstances and nature of the relationship,” says Dr. Reiss.

However, Dr. Reiss says, “A significant portion of the population never fully work through the second stage and may still retain some sense that in order to be secure, in order to avoid fear, they must always satisfy the powerful power/person upon which they are dependent, regardless of the ethics of the demands being made and regardless of any personal abuse or pain inflicted.”

For these individuals, this is their basic manner of functioning within relationships, says Dr. Reiss, even when the other half of the relationship is violent.

Set up for Stockholm Syndrome

“Persons who have not adequately resolved the second stage described above are probably much more likely to succumb to Stockholm syndrome than those who have progressed to a solid sense of identity, self-esteem – and the ability to distinguish between benign disappointment in relationships versus abusive situations.”

So what about very friendly people and Stockholm syndrome?

“A person who is characteristically friendly may actually be overly-dependent as per the above discussion; but a person who has a good sense of self and autonomy may also be inclined to be generally friendly (just not blindly so),” says Dr. Reiss.

Conclusion: Dr. Reiss does not view “friendliness” as a trait that puts someone at higher, or at lower, risk for Stockholm syndrome, unless that “friendliness” is “actually an aspect of unresolved over-dependency.”