Sensory contact to the stressor prevents recovery from structural and functional heart damage following psychosocial trauma.

•Psychosocial stress causes structural cardiac damage in male mice.•Stress-induced structural cardiac changes are accompanied by functional deficits.•Stress-induced cytokines affect cardiomyocytes structure and function in vitro.•Sensory contact to aggressor delays structural and functional cardiac recovery.•Individual housing promotes cardiac recovery but aggravates behavioral deficits.