A comparison of hugging frequency and its association with momentary mood before and during COVID-19 using ecological momentary assessment

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a drastic decrease of human social interactions including human social touch. One of the most prevalent forms of touch is hugging. Hugging has been demonstrated to benefit both physical and mental well-being. In the present study, we used an ecological momentary assessment approach to assess the relationship between hugging and momentary mood in two independent cohorts. The first cohort was re-used from a previously published study sampled prior to the COVID-19 pandemic whereas the second cohort was newly recruited during the third COVID-19 wave in Germany. We found that the frequency of hugging was significantly lower during than before the pandemic. Using multilevel modeling, we found a significant positive association between momentary mood and daily hugs. This effect was moderated by the cohort, as individuals during the pandemic showed a stronger positive association compared to the cohort sampled prior to the pandemic. Furthermore, we only found a negative association between loneliness and momentary mood in the pre-pandemic cohort whereas no link was observed in the mid-pandemic cohort. While we have to stress that our results are correlational in nature, they potentially indicate that social touch is more beneficial in times of social distancing, possibly due to a higher valuation and perceived intimacy of the hug.

The physical and mental health benefits of touch interventions: A comparative systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis

“…A critical issue highlighted in the pandemic is the lack of touch due to social restrictions (Packheiser et al, 2023). To accommodate the need for touch in individuals with small social networks (e.g., institutionalized or isolated individuals), touch interventions using objects/robots have been explored in the past (for review, see Eckstein et al, 2020).…”

Touching Reduces Pain and Stress: A Narrative Review

“…In still another paper on COVID effects entitled "A comparison of hugging frequency and its association with mood before and during COVID-19 using ecological momentary assessment", two independent cohorts were seen prior to and during COVID (N=94, mean age =26 in the pre-COVID cohort and N =104, mean age= 32 in the during COVID cohort) [26]. A positive correlation was noted between mood and hugging that was stronger during COVID.…”