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Although they seem trivial, hugs are actually essential for good physical and mental health. A new study supports this observation and according to scientists, it is not necessarily necessary to have the presence of a human to benefit from it.
Do you know the importance of hugs? In a study published this Monday, scientists from the Social Brain Lab at the Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience and the University Hospital of Essen in Germany, recall the importance of their health benefits.
Reduce pain, anxiety, stress…
For this work, the scientists carried out a meta-analysis including 212 studies covering a total of 12,966 adults, children and infants. By studying the effects of hugs on the health of these participants, experts conclude that they contribute to improving their mental health, but also to their physical well-being. Hugs can help reduce pain, anxiety, depression and stress.
Similar effects, even in the absence of a human
But to benefit from a hug, you still need to have another person to give it to, you say? Not necessarily. Scientists also demonstrate that a tactile robot or a weighted blanket can also provide the same comfort. “The results indicate that a tactile robot or even a simple weighted blanket has the potential to help with well-being.” explains Frédéric Michon, one of the authors of the study.
Another surprising fact: knowing or not knowing the person you are hugging would have no influence on the health benefits. On the other hand, from birth, early contact with the skin – skin-to-skin technique – and maternal odor help newborns to better adapt to their environment and promote their weight gain. Women’s hugs would also be more beneficial for those who receive them.
Frequency, the element that matters most
The person who performs the hug and the way in which he or she goes about it would ultimately not matter much. The factor that really matters would be frequency. Frequent cuddles, even brief ones, would therefore be more beneficial.
On the contrary, the lack of physical contact is harmful. This was already observed during the Covid period, when the various confinements isolated certain people, depriving them of any physical connection with others. The deterioration of their mental health had been noted and this data is universal, this observation having been made in different populations around the world.
The study finally points out a difference, which is probably explained by culture: hugs would have more impact on the health of South Americans than on that of North Americans or Europeans.