Through a large-scale analysis, researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have uncovered the ways in which consensual touch can benefit a person’s physical and mental wellbeing.

You might recognize the comforting feeling when someone offers you a hug at the end of a stressful day or strokes your shoulder when you’re feeling down. But the question remains: can touch really help you feel better, and does it matter who it’s from or how they touch you?

Combining all these studies together for a large-scale analysis offers a clearer answer: yes, touch substantially improves both physical and mental wellbeing, for example via reduction of pain, anxiety, depression, and stress in adults.

Interestingly, the person touching you, how they touch you, and the duration of their touch doesn’t make a difference in terms of impact.

Source: Science Daily

[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408130610.htm](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408130610.htm)