From the Guidelines
Going months or over a year without human touch or physical affection can be significantly detrimental to both mental and physical health, leading to increased stress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness, as evidenced by the negative impact of quarantine on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic 1.
Mental Health Impact
Humans are biologically wired for social connection, and touch deprivation (sometimes called "skin hunger" or "touch starvation") can have severe consequences. The lack of physical affection can lead to:
- Increased stress and anxiety
- Depression and feelings of loneliness
- Weakened immune function
- Increased blood pressure
- Disrupted sleep patterns due to elevated stress hormones like cortisol The body's natural oxytocin production—a hormone that promotes bonding and reduces stress—decreases without regular physical contact 1.
Physical Health Consequences
Prolonged touch deprivation can also have physical health consequences, including:
- Chronic pain and comorbid depression and anxiety disorders, which can be exacerbated by social deprivation and stress 1
- Reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL)
- Increased susceptibility to pain, depression, and anxiety
Recommendations
If you're experiencing touch deprivation, consider:
- Seeking professional mental health support
- Joining social groups
- Getting regular massages
- Adopting a pet for some physical contact
- Discussing your needs with trusted friends or family
- Practicing self-touch, such as self-massage or using weighted blankets, to provide some relief 1. The importance of touch begins in infancy and continues throughout life, serving as a fundamental human need rather than simply a preference. Environmental enrichment, including social aspects, sensory stimulation, physical exercise, and novelty, can also improve psychological well-being and reduce the risk of chronic health problems 1.
From the Research
Effects of Prolonged Lack of Physical Affection
- Going months or over a year without any touch or physical affection from other humans can have severe negative effects on mental and physical health, as social isolation is a powerful predictor of poor mental and physical health 2.
- Unsatisfactory physical contact experience has been linked to depression, with studies suggesting that it can predispose individuals to depression and other psychiatric disorders 3.
- The lack of physical affection can lead to increased levels of anxiety and depression, which can be mitigated by social support, including nondirective emotional support and directive instrumental support 2.
Relationship Between Physical Contact and Depression
- Research has shown that unsatisfactory physical contact experience is strongly associated with depression, and that this relationship is independent of the experience of being loved or not loved 3.
- Different categories and kinds of physical contact experience have been explored in relation to depression, with results suggesting that depression is more closely linked to stable than unstable unsatisfactory physical contact experience, and to present rather than childhood experience 3.
- Endogenous depression has been characterized by an absence of any physical contact experience in the present, while manic-depressive psychosis combines unsatisfactory physical contact experience with the experience of being loved 3.
Treatment of Depression
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to treat depression, with escitalopram being shown to be more effective than other SSRIs in terms of response rate, remission rate, and withdrawal rate 4.
- However, SSRIs can have adverse effects, including an increased risk of suicidality in children and young adults, and a risk-benefit analysis must be conducted when prescribing SSRIs to any patient 5.