Stress Diffusion through Complex Networks

Abstract

Research has proven that stress reduces quality of life and causes many diseases. It is not clear how stress spreads among the population and how its diffusion in a society can be estimated. From a complex system perspective, this paper defines the rules of stress transmission, including input and output factors. Stress transmission flow is defined to describe an entropy-derived measure of stress between two interconnected individuals, and the analysis is extended to networked individuals to analyze stress diffusion in a theoretical setting that includes the modeling of complex networks and the use of agent-based models in a simulated framework. These approaches endow artificial, interacting agents with behavioral rules, allowing the authors to determine the important components that must be considered as the nature of the equilibrium that exists between two distinctly different classifications of individuals. The first classification is “isolated individuals” who experience self-induced stress. The second classification consists of “too connected individuals” who have a high perception of social pressure, have a higher probability of being stressed, and who are surrounded by a higher number of stressed people.