BEING hugged can help reduce pain, depression and anxiety, a study shows.
Physical touch improved children and adults’ physical and mental health — even if it came from robots, German researchers found.
GettyBeing hugged may help reduce pain, depression and anxiety in adults and children[/caption]
The study of nearly 13,000 people looked at how touch in different areas of the body and from different people or objects impacted people.
Dr Julian Packheiser, of Ruhr University Bochum, said: “The frequency seems to matter — more sessions were positively associated with the improvement in depression and anxiety.”
Around one in six Brits suffers depression, with women around twice as likely to have the mental health problem.
It is the most common mental health issue in older people, with around 22 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women aged 65 or over affected.
Around 8million Brits also live with anxiety disorders.
Previous research has shown physical touch can help people with specific conditions, including anxiety and depression.
The latest study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, looked at the evidence for how it affects both, as well as physical issues like pain.
Researchers analysed data from 212 studies, including a total of 12,966 people to see how different types of touch affected people.
They looked at massages, kangaroo care — where a baby is placed against their parents chest — and other types of human touch, including hugging.
Stroking or playing with animals and being touched by robots or putting on a weighted blanket were also reviewed.
The biggest benefits were seen in human-to-human touch and they found it didn’t matter if a person was receiving massages or being hugged.
Dr Packheiser said: “Our work illustrates that touch interventions are best suited for reducing pain, depression and anxiety in adults and children.
“Our results offer many promising avenues to improve future touch interventions.”
Help for mental health
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support.
The following are free to contact and confidential:
Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123, [email protected]
CALM (the leading movement against suicide in men) www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
Papyrus (prevention of young suicide) www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
Shout (for support of all mental health) www.giveusashout.org/get-help/, text 85258 to start a conversation
Mind, www.mind.org, provide information about types of mental health problems and where to get help for them. Email [email protected] or call the infoline on 0300 123 3393 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary).
YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline on 0808 802 5544 for parents or carers worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving. The website has a chat option too.
Rethink Mental Illness, www.rethink.org, gives advice and information service offers practical advice on a wide range of topics such as The Mental Health Act, social care, welfare benefits, and carers rights. Use its website or call 0300 5000 927 (calls are charged at your local rate).
Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk, is the a mental health initiative spearheaded by The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales.
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