Feeling anxiety, pain or depression? Scientists want you to hug it out and see it all vanish
Hugging a child/representative image via Pexels
Remember 'Hugsy'? Joey's friend other than his FRIENDS on NBC's legendary sitcom by the same name? Joey Tribbiani would hug Hugsy and be so possessive of it that he wouldn't even share it with infant Emma.
Actor Matt Le Blanc as Joey Tribbiani in NBC's FRIENDS
Well, the science has it confirmed. Hugs are great for you.
A review of 212 previous studies has found that hugs and other forms of physical touch can help with physical and mental health in people of all ages.
Also read |The Amazing Benefits of Hugs
Researchers combined the findings of all these studies to get a broader picture of how touch is beneficial.
The research team comprised Ruhr University Bochum in Germany and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience.
"We were aware of the importance of touch as a health intervention, but despite many studies, it remained unclear how to use it optimally, what effects can be expected specifically, and what the influencing factors are," neuroscientist Julian Packheiser from Ruhr University Bochum said in an official statement.
What did the study find?
The research, published in Nature Human Behaviour, showed that touch helps reduce feelings of pain, depression, and anxiety. Its positive effect was observed in both children and adults.
At the same time, touching on head or face appears to work best.
The touches from inanimate objects such as body pillows and weighted blankets can help in terms of physical health. Touches from humans and animals tend to be beneficial both physically and mentally.
At the same time, newborn infants benefit from touch as well. But the positive influence is more when the touch comes from a parent.
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As you get older, whether or not the touch is from a biological parent matters less.
"The study clearly shows that touch can indeed be optimised, but the most important factors are not necessarily those we suspect," neuroscientist Christian Keysers from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, said.
(With inputs from agencies)