Quickie: Can Hugs From Your Partner Keep You Healthy?
Study shows an embrace may be the cure for the common cold

When you’re having a bad day, falling into your partner’s arms for a nice, warm hug can make you feel like all your problems are melting away. And according to a study in Psychological Science, regular hugs may also be the prescription for keeping you healthy.
In a study led by Sheldon Cohen, researchers examined the extent to which hugs can protect people from infections thanks to the wellness boost provided by this form of social support, particularly in the face of conflict people have been exposed to.
“People who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety.”
“We know that people experiencing ongoing conflicts with others are less able to fight off cold viruses. We also know that people who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety,” Cohen explained. “We tested whether perceptions of social support are equally effective in protecting us from stress-induced susceptibility to infection and also whether receiving hugs might partially account for those feelings of support and themselves protect a person against infection.”
To determine the extent of this protection, researchers spoke to 404 healthy people for 14 consecutive evenings about the interpersonal conflicts they were involved in, as well as how many hugs they received during this time. Participants were subsequently exposed to a common cold virus and monitored in quarantine for signs of illness. Study authors found that those who reported having more social support and hugs were less likely to develop severe illness, even if they had been involved in conflicts that could make them more susceptible to getting sick.
“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,” said Cohen. “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. Either way, those who receive more hugs are somewhat more protected from infection.”
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Source:
Hugs help protect against stress, infection, say researchers. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141217101316.htm
