An analysis of more than 200 studies involving nearly 13,000 people found that touch such as hugs, cuddles and massages can reduce pain, depression and anxiety in adults and children. Studies show that benefits can be seen both in healthy people and in clinical settings.
Touch, the sense that brings us into constant contact with reality, is the first sense to develop in babies. Previous research has analyzed how the way we interact more directly with the world has positive effects on physical and mental health, although it does not take into account the influence of other variables such as the type of contact or the person making it have.
Today the journal Nature Human Behavior published a systematic review and meta-analysis of 212 studies involving 12,966 people that analyzed the benefits of affection.
The authors, led by Julian Packheiser, a neuroscientist at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, found strong evidence of health benefits in adults who come into physical contact with people or objects, including robots or body pillows.
“Our research is important because tactile interventions can be a very effective tool for improving the health of the general population.“explains Packheiser. “But we need to know what limiting factors affect its effectiveness.“.
The power of hugs
The authors found similar physical health benefits and only slightly smaller mental health benefits when people touched another person instead of an object.
“This is very important for people who cannot interact with others due to loneliness or illness.Packheiser said.This was true for everyone during the pandemic, so this result could have concrete implications going forward“.
The frequency of petting is also important, as more frequent intervention is associated with more positive outcomes. They have also been shown to be effective in improving the mental health of both clinical and healthy populations. Likewise, the effectiveness of stroking was relatively similar across all cultures, age groups, and genders analyzed.
However, there is no difference depending on the type of communication (for example, massage or hug).
“Massages, hugs or caresses seemed to be just as effective. The duration of the caress was not important, but the frequency of the procedure was. That’s why a massage is often better, but it doesn’t have to be long,” he added. “People who receive a massage feel better than those who receive affection from a friend or partner.”“, Explain.
“However, the situation is different for newborns, as they are more likely to improve when touched by their parents than when touched by a nurse.“.
The authors also observed a greater effect when touching the head (e.g. face or scalp) compared to other parts of the body, such as the head. B. the fuselage, with unidirectional rather than bidirectional contact being more advantageous.
The advantage arises if the contact is consensual
“Consent is essential to relieve symptoms of pain, anxiety, and depression. If there is a need for contact, we can only recommend integrating interactions such as hugs or massages more into the therapeutic context in order to reduce these feelings.“Packheiser continued.
“It could be a complementary measure to existing therapies, for example for pain syndromes or depressive disorders: for example, giving people a weighted blanket or a social robot or seeking more contact with their surroundings“he proposes. “We hope that our study will have long-term implications for policymakers who could implement measures of this type“.
Upcoming research
The authors suggest that future work should test the effectiveness of various sensory interventions in large controlled trials to ensure the validity of findings on the benefits of touch.
Additionally, they could test whether tactile interactions are equally effective across cultures, since most existing research is based on middle- and high-income cultures.
“We take such a global approach that details are often missing. Although we know that mental health, for example, did not improve as much with contact with robots as with contact with humans, we couldn’t understand why“, emphasizes Packheiser. “The mechanisms underlying these findings remain poorly understood.“
Reference:
Julian Packheiser et al.: “A systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of the physical and mental health benefits of touch interventions.” Nature human behavior 2024
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