von Leonie Ascone ; Anja Christine Rohenkohl ; René Hurlemann ; Eva Meisenzahl-Lechner ; Steffi Gerlinde Riedel-Heller ; Thomas Becker ; Malek Bajbouj ; Marie von Lilienfeld-Toal ; Jürgen Gallinat ; Martin Lambert
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.
von Juliane K. Mueller ; Kira F. Ahrens ; Michael Bauer ; Bernhard T. Baune ; Stefan Borgwardt ; Jürgen Deckert ; Katharina Domschke ; Regina Ellwanger ; Andreas Fallgatter ; Thomas Frodl ; Jürgen Gallinat ; René Gottschalk ; Hans Jörgen Grabe ; Alkomiet Hasan ; Sabine Herpertz ; René Hurlemann ; Frank Jessen ; Joseph Kambeitz ; Tilo Kircher ; Johannes Kornhuber ; Klaus Lieb ; Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg ; Rainer Rupprecht ; Norbert Scherbaum ; Christiane Schlang ; Anja Schneider ; Georg Schomerus ; Andreas Thoma ; Stefan Unterecker ; Martin Walter ; Henrik Walter ; Andreas Reif ; Christine Reif-Leonhard
von Rebekka Schröder ; Eliana Faiola ; Maria Fernanda Urquijo ; Katharina Bey ; Inga Meyhöfer ; Maria Steffens ; Anna-Maria Kasparbauer ; Anne Ruef ; Hanna Högenauer ; René Hurlemann ; Joseph Kambeitz ; Alexandra Philipsen ; Michael Wagner ; Nikolaos Koutsouleris ; Ulrich Ettinger