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What Is Stockholm Syndrome?

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  1. Definition

    A popular term used to describe a psychological phenomenon in which a hostage or kidnapping victim develops positive feelings or an emotional bond toward their captor over time, sometimes even coming to defend them.

  2. Origin: The 1973 Stockholm Bank Hostage Crisis

    The name comes from a 1973 hostage situation at the Norrmalmstorg bank in Stockholm, Sweden, where victims held hostage for six days ended up defending their captors and showing hostility toward police. Criminologist Nils Bejerot, who investigated the case, was the first to use the term.

  3. Not an Official Psychiatric Diagnosis

    Stockholm syndrome is not an official diagnosis listed in the American Psychiatric Association's DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) or the World Health Organization's ICD. There is no agreed-upon diagnostic criteria for it β€” it functions more as a descriptive label used to explain specific cases.

  4. Skepticism in Academic Research

    A 2008 systematic literature review by Namnyak and colleagues found that the evidence for this phenomenon consists largely of media coverage and individual case reports, with a lack of rigorous empirical research. An analysis of the FBI's hostage database also found that only about 5–8% of kidnapping victims showed a response matching Stockholm syndrome β€” a very low rate.

  5. Overlap With Trauma Bonding

    Many experts believe what gets labeled Stockholm syndrome is better explained by "trauma bonding," a pattern seen in abusive relationships, or by survival strategies used in extreme situations. In other words, rather than being an independent syndrome, it may be a phenomenon already explainable by other, well-established psychological mechanisms.

  6. Exaggerated Portrayal in Popular Media

    Despite being a genuinely rare phenomenon, its frequent portrayal in movies and TV dramas as a romantic relationship between hostage and captor has led to criticism that Stockholm syndrome is perceived as far more common and typical than it really is.

What Is Stockholm Syndrome?

Stockholm syndrome is a popular term for a phenomenon where hostages or kidnapping victims come, over time, to feel positive emotions or a bond toward the perpetrator β€” even to the point of defending them. It has become extremely well known through media and popular culture, but as covered below, it is not an official psychiatric diagnosis and opinion in academic circles is divided over what it actually represents.

A Widely Known but Contested Psychological Concept

Several psychological concepts, much like Stockholm syndrome, are widely known to the public while remaining the subject of ongoing academic debate over their reproducibility and evidence base. See our guide to the Rosenthal effect (Pygmalion effect) β€” the idea that expectations shape outcomes β€” for another example of a concept that has faced similar debate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Stockholm syndrome actually happen often?

No. Analysis of the FBI's hostage database found that only about 5–8% of hostage victims show this kind of response β€” a fairly low rate, and far less common than its portrayal in popular media would suggest.

Can it be officially diagnosed as a mental disorder?

No. Stockholm syndrome is not listed in official diagnostic manuals like the DSM or ICD. It functions more as a descriptive term used to explain specific cases, without agreed-upon diagnostic criteria.