Receiving physical touch, whether it is from other human beings or animals, can help in reducing anxiety, depression, and even pain in adults and children, as per the findings of a recent meta-analysis and review of 212 studies that was published in the journal
“The most common touch interventions, for example, massage for adults or kangaroo care for newborns, have been shown to have a wide range of both mental and physical health benefits, from facilitating growth and development to buffering against anxiety and stress, over the lifespan of humans and animals alike,” the researchers added.
The researchers observed that adults who engaged in touch interventions with other humans experienced health benefits but surprisingly, it did not matter whether they were touched by their loved ones or received consensual physical contact from someone unfamiliar.“Touch interventions can be performed either by familiar touchers or by unfamiliar touchers . In adults, we did not find an impact of familiarity of the toucher,” the researchers noted.