Dataset Information

Affectionate touch and diurnal oxytocin levels: An ecological momentary assessment study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Affectionate touch, which is vital for mental and physical health, was restricted during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study investigated the association between momentary affectionate touch and subjective well-being, as well as salivary oxytocin and cortisol in everyday life during the pandemic.

Methods

In the first step, we measured anxiety and depression symptoms, loneliness and attitudes toward social touch in a large cross-sectional online survey (N = 1050). From this sample, N = 247 participants completed ecological momentary assessments over 2 days with six daily assessments by answering smartphone-based questions on affectionate touch and momentary mental state, and providing concomitant saliva samples for cortisol and oxytocin assessment.

Results

Multilevel models showed that on a within-person level, affectionate touch was associated with decreased self-reported anxiety, general burden, stress, and increased oxytocin levels. On a between-person level, affectionate touch was associated with decreased cortisol levels and higher happiness. Moreover, individuals with a positive attitude toward social touch experiencing loneliness reported more mental health problems.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that affectionate touch is linked to higher endogenous oxytocin in times of pandemic and lockdown and might buffer stress on a subjective and hormonal level. These findings might have implications for preventing mental burden during social contact restrictions.

Funding

The study was funded by the German Research Foundation, the German Psychological Society, and German Academic Exchange Service.

SUBMITTER: Schneider E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10229112 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Affectionate touch and diurnal oxytocin levels: An ecological momentary assessment study.

Schneider Ekaterina E Hopf Dora D Aguilar-Raab Corina C Scheele Dirk D Neubauer Andreas B AB Sailer Uta U Hurlemann René R Eckstein Monika M Ditzen Beate B

eLife 20230530

<h4>Background</h4>Affectionate touch, which is vital for mental and physical health, was restricted during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study investigated the association between momentary affectionate touch and subjective well-being, as well as salivary oxytocin and cortisol in everyday life during the pandemic.<h4>Methods</h4>In the first step, we measured anxiety and depression symptoms, loneliness and attitudes toward social touch in a large cross-sectional online survey (N = 1050). From thi ...[more]

PMID: 37252874

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Dataset Information

Affectionate touch and diurnal oxytocin levels: An ecological momentary assessment study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Funding

Publications

Affectionate touch and diurnal oxytocin levels: An ecological momentary assessment study.

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