Antisocial behaviour in young men linked to low levels of stress hormone

A British research at Cambridge University have discovered a link between antisocial behaviour in male adolescents and reduced levels of the ’stress hormone’ cortisol.

Previous studies showed that Cortisol enhances memory formation and is thought to make people behave more cautiously and to help them regulate their emotions, particularly their temper and violent impulses. As a rule, levels of Cortisol in the body increase when people undergo a stressful experience, such as public speaking, sitting an exam, or having surgery.

This finding suggests that antisocial behaviour, at least in some cases, may be seen as a form of mental illness that is linked to physiological symptoms involving a chemical imbalance of cortisol in the brain and body.