Touching offers health benefits

A gentle reminder

Before any mischievous thoughts enter one’s mind, let’s be clear: this article is about the health benefits of consensual touching, such as hugs, massages, and even weighted blankets. No funny business, just science-backed benefits!

Reducing depression, anxiety, and pain

A new research that is published in the peer-reviewed journal: Nature Human Behaviour, shows that touch can significantly reduce pain, depression, and anxiety. Whether it’s a hug from a friend or the caress of a weighted blanket, touch brings profound benefits to both body and mind.

Dr Helena Hartmann from University Hospital Essen in Germany states, “More consensual touch events throughout our day can help alleviate or buffer against mental and physical complaints.”

The importance of touch

Touch is the first sense to develop in babies and remains crucial for experiencing the world and communicating. The loss of touch during the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted how essential it is for our well-being. A meta-analysis published in Nature Human Behavior reviewed 212 studies, revealing that touch is beneficial for both mental and physical health.

Benefits for all ages

The analysis, which included 85 studies involving adults and 52 involving newborns, found that touch benefits both age groups. It reduces pain, depression, and anxiety in adults and children, and increases weight gain in newborns. Interestingly, humans received similar physical health benefits from touch by humans or objects like weighted blankets, though human touch had a larger positive impact on mental health.

Surprising findings

One unexpected finding was that touch from objects, like weighted blankets or social robots, provided physical health benefits similar to human touch.

Dr Hartmann notes, “This means we need more research on the potential of weighted blankets or social robots to improve people’s wellbeing, especially during contact-limiting situations like the recent Covid pandemic.”

Touch frequency and body parts matter

The study found that the frequency of touch is more important than the duration. More frequent touch is associated with greater benefits in adults. Additionally, touching the head yielded greater health benefits than other parts of the body.

Touch across cultures

While the positive impacts of touch were clear, the researchers cautioned that some findings might not hold across different cultures. Touch’s benefits were more pronounced in some areas than others, suggesting that cultural factors play a role in how touch is perceived and its subsequent benefits.

The future of touch interventions

A study last year suggests that in the future, robots designed to replicate human touch could provide similar mental health benefits, especially if they can mimic the texture and warmth of human skin. This could be particularly beneficial in situations where human touch isn’t possible.

Touch in clinical settings

The research also highlighted that touch benefits both healthy and unwell individuals, with a greater impact on mental health for those who are unwell. Touch applied by familiar individuals, such as family members, was more beneficial for newborns than touch by healthcare professionals. However, in adults, familiarity did not significantly impact the benefits of touch.

Encouraging future research

Professor Katerina Fotopoulou from University College London believes this research provides a comprehensive view of the benefits of touch interventions. She hopes it will fuel new studies on how touch can be used alongside other treatments to enhance health outcomes.

Touch is a powerful tool for improving mental and physical health. From reducing anxiety and depression to alleviating pain and aiding newborn development, its benefits are vast. As we move forward, exploring the potential of touch in various forms, including through objects and robots, could open new avenues for enhancing well-being, especially in times when human contact is limited. So, go ahead, give someone a hug today – it’s good for both of you!