You’ve probably heard of Stockholm syndrome. But what the heck is Helsinki syndrome?
“Helsinki syndrome” is a term you’ll sometimes hear in films, online discussions or crime stories. Usually describing a situation where someone seems strangely sympathetic towards a person who has power over them. It sounds like it should be a recognized psychological concept, but the meaning isn’t always clear. So where does the idea come from, and what are people actually referring to when they use it? Let’s take a closer look.
Why people confuse ‘Helsinki syndrome’ with Stockholm syndrome
Before we talk about Helsinki syndrome, let’s look at what Stockholm syndrome is.
Stockholm syndrome is when captives in a hostage situation begin to develop feelings of sympathy for their captors.
It’s a psychological response to a stressful situation whereby the hostages begin to identify with their captors and their aims.
Stockholm syndrome has been a recognized syndrome since the 1970s, when a bank raid in Sweden’s capital Stockholm went wrong.
Four of the bank’s employees were held hostage in the bank’s vaults for six days. When the police managed to free them they were surprised at how much sympathy the hostages felt with their captors.
Ever since, the term has been used to identify a recognized coping measure whereby abused people feel sympathy with, and sometimes even defend, their abusers to help them deal with their situation.
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So is Helsinki syndrome the same as Stockholm syndrome?
The short answer is yes.
Helsinki syndrome is named after the capital of Finland, of course, rather than the capital of Sweden, but essentially they are the same thing.
There’s just one catch: Helsinki syndrome doesn’t really exist.
So why is it called Helsinki syndrome?
To get to the bottom of where the term Helsinki syndrome came from, we need to look – perhaps surprisingly – at the film Die Hard.
During the film, an expert in terrorism and hostage situations, Dr Hasseldorf, is being interviewed on TV about an on-going siege.
He says that the hostages are likely to be going through “Helsinki syndrome”.
News anchor, Harvey Johnson, says “As in Helsinki, Sweden”, to which Dr Hasseldorf replies “Finland”. Check out the full clip below.
Why do they say Helsinki syndrome in Die Hard?
There are several theories about why they say Helsinki syndrome in Die Hard instead of Stockholm syndrome. The first is that it was a simple mistake.
The fact that the producer in the clip is seen rolling his eyes in exasperation could refer to Harvey Johnson’s mistake in saying that Helsinki was in Sweden rather than Finland.
Alternatively, it could refer to Dr Hasseldorf confusing the name of the syndrome, in which case the producers of Die Hard were clearly aware that the wrong term was being used, and were poking fun at the US media and so-called experts!
It’s also possible that it comes from a previous reference in a left-wing magazine The Nationwhereby captives begin to question the gung-ho attitude of the US in a war or hostage situation.
Given how many rewrites, edits and viewings the film would have had before its release, it’s unlikely to be a mistake and is more likely to be a tongue-in-cheek parody of the US media, American foreign policy, or even the perceived lack of geographic knowledge among the adult American population.
Helsinki syndrome vs Stockholm syndrome – which is correct?
Stockholm syndrome is the original and correct term.
But since its outing in Die Hardwhich gets played around the world every Christmas, Helsinki syndrome has come into common usage.
Even popular petrol-head TV series Top Gear used Helsinki syndrome in one of its programs in 2011, when TV presenter Richard Hammond described it as “when people are being kidnapped, when they’re released, [they] miss their kidnappers”.
Hammond is picked up on his mistake when Jeremy Clarkson asks him if he meant Stockholm syndrome instead, and Hammond replies that he did.
When asked what Helsinki syndrome is, fellow presenter James May responds, “I think it’s when you’re an idiot and get your syndromes mixed up.”
Other possible examples of Stockholm or Helsinki syndrome include Beauty and the Beastthe popular fairy tale and Disney movie, although some argue that it’s more a case of Lima syndrome (see below), since the beast begins to show feelings for Belle first.
Lima syndrome vs. Helsinki syndrome
Lima syndrome is pretty much the opposite of Helsinki, or Stockholm, syndrome.
It’s where the captors begin to develop feelings and sympathy for their hostages.
It was named after a siege at the Japanese embassy in Lima, when the captors began to feel a bond with the captive diplomats, even expressing a wish to travel to Japan for school once the siege was over.
Is Helsinki syndrome real?
As a psychological and medical condition, Helsinki syndrome is definitely not real. It’s just a mistaken version of the term Stockholm syndrome.
However, if you check the Helsinki syndrome definition in the Urban Dictionary, then you will find that it has a different meaning.
In popular usage Helsinki syndrome has come to mean a mental condition whereby someone is unable to distinguish between the countries of Sweden and Finland, usually when trying to convey the meaning of Stockholm syndrome to others (see Richard Hammond, above).
This condition has come to be used in a wider context to describe someone who has a general lack of geographic knowledge and awareness.
And if you think you’re in danger of suffering from a spot of Helsinki syndrome (the Urban Dictionary variety), then you need to get reading some of our Routes North posts about Stockholm and Helsinki!
You’ll never get the two cities confused again!
FAQ
Is Helsinki syndrome a real psychological condition?
No. The term doesn’t exist in psychology and isn’t used by professionals. It’s simply a mistaken form of “Stockholm syndrome.”
Where did the term “Helsinki syndrome” come from?
It became popular after being used incorrectly in pop culture, especially in the film Die Hardwhere a character mixes up the two cities.
So what ice Stockholm syndrome?
It refers to a rare trauma response where hostages or victims develop emotional bonds with their captors, often as a coping mechanism. The name comes from a real 1973 hostage case in Stockholm.
Misused terms like “Helsinki syndrome” show how easily pop culture can shape the way we talk about psychology — even when the words aren’t accurate. Have you come across this phrase somewhere, or were you surprised to learn it’s not real? Let us know in the comments!
Curious about more cultural and linguistic mix-ups? Read our guide to Swedish words English speakers often misunderstand.
See also:
110 cheap and free things to do in Stockholm
Stockholm Archipelago: six of the best islands to visit
33 cheap and free things to do in Helsinki