A team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh tested whether hugs act as a form of social support, protecting stressed people from getting sick. Turns out they do!
In the study of 404 healthy adults perceived support was assessed by a questionnaire, and the frequency of interpersonal conflicts and receiving hugs was assessed from telephone interviews conducted on 14 consecutive evenings. After this, they exposed the participants to the common cold virus and monitored what happened.
The results showed that people with greater social support and more frequent hugs were less susceptible to stress as well as less likely to get infections when stressed. If they did get an infection then their symptoms weren’t as severe as those with less hugging or social support.
Hugs were responsible for one-third of the protective effect of social support.
“This suggests that being hugged by a trusted person may act as an effective means of conveying support and that increasing the frequency of hugs might be an effective means of reducing the deleterious effects of stress,” Cohen said. “The apparent protective effect of hugs may be attributable to the physical contact itself or to hugging being a behavioral indicator of support and intimacy.”
Hugs can also:
- Build connection, trust and a sense of safety.
- Boost oxytocin levels, which heal feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger.
- Boost serotonin levels (longer hugs), improving both mood and calmness.
- Help relax muscle tension.
- Help reduce blood pressure.
- Can help reduce the perception of pain.
- Reduces cortisol, the stress hormone.
Mind you, a wrong hug by the wrong person can do the opposite! So find someone you feel safe with and hug it out!
