10/20/2025
https://www.facebook.com/share/17D7zoQPAg/
Touch literally changes us at the biological level, research shows.
A new study confirms that touch lowers stress, boosts mood, and even improves physical health.
Researchers from Ruhr University Bochum reviewed data from 137 studies and nearly 13,000 participants, finding that touch-based interventions like hugging, massage, or skin-to-skin contact consistently improved both psychological well-being and physical outcomes.
For newborns, practices like kangaroo care helped regulate stress hormones and even improved vital functions like respiration and liver performance. For adults, regular touch lowered anxiety, eased depression, and helped relieve physical pain.
Remarkably, these benefits were even more pronounced in individuals facing health challenges compared to healthy participants. While robot-assisted touch therapy provided some physical relief, it didn’t match the emotional comfort offered by human touch—especially when coming from familiar people or trained professionals.
The findings underscore the value of incorporating safe, consensual touch into both personal relationships and therapeutic settings. Whether it’s a simple hug from a friend or a massage from a professional, science now confirms: touch can heal.
Source: Packheiser, J. et al. (2024). A systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of the physical and mental health benefits of touch interventions. Nature Human Behaviour.
