Social touch deprivation during COVID-19: effects on psychological wellbeing and craving interpersonal touch

Mohr, Mariana von; Kirsch, Louise P.; Fotopoulou, Aikaterini

doi:10.1098/rsos.210287

Cited by 90 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…To reduce the spread of COVID-19, many countries instituted social distancing policies restricting individuals from social interaction to curtail the spread of the virus ( Matrajt and Leung, 2020 ; World Health Organization, 2020a ). While these measures are essential to prevent the virus from spreading, limitations on social interaction could cause unintended psychological harm ( Cudjoe and Kotwal, 2020 ; Von Mohr et al, 2021 ). Imposed isolation can lead to increased negative emotions, including boredom, anger, and loneliness ( Montano and Acebes, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Association Between Sociability and COVID-19 Pandemic Stress

et al. 2022

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The COVID-19 pandemic threatened our physical health, alongside our mental and social wellbeing. Social distancing requirements, which are necessary to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, increased social isolation by limiting social interactions that are an essential part of human wellbeing. In this study, we examined the stress caused by COVID-19 early on in the pandemic through the lens of sociability among a large sample of preservice educators (N = 2,183). We found that individuals who have higher sociability (including deriving joy from social interactions and using social support to manage emotions) experienced greater COVID-19 stress. This study also contributed to prior literature which has sought to relate pandemic-related stress to demographic group differences. We found no significant relationship between demographic membership (gender, race, and sexual orientation) and COVID-19 stress. This study is among the first, however, to demonstrate that vulnerability to pandemic stress varies as a function of sociability. Implications of these findings and ways people can better cope with pandemic isolation are discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Association Between Sociability and COVID-19 Pandemic Stress

et al. 2022

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“…COVID-19-related restrictions have allowed the systematic study of the degree to which social distancing also affects tactile experiences and mental health. In fact, it is undeniable that social touch has positive effects on social affiliation and stress alleviation [ 42 ]. Moreover, eye contact as well as other forms of non-verbal communication play an important role in human interactions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is the “Family Glass Cabin” Useful to Safely Allow Inpatient–Caregiver Interaction in the COVID-19 Era? A Pilot Study on Severe Acquired Brain Injury

Luca

Rifici

Pollicino

et al. 2022

JCM

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Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is a life-changing event that can have a devastating impact on all aspects of a person’s functioning. Patients with ABI present several behavioral problems that have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed at investigating the role of a “Family Glass Cabin” (FGC) both in improving cognitive function and communicative abilities of people with ABI and in potentiating the mental health of their caregivers. Fifteen subjects affected by ABI and their caregivers were enrolled in this experimental study. Training was performed through the FGC and was based on either psychoeducational sessions for the caregivers or cognitive stimulations for the patients. The participants attended biweekly meetings for 12 consecutive weeks. Each participant was assessed by means of a complete psychometric and clinical battery, before (T0) and after (T1) the training. We found significant changes in all patients’ outcomes, including global cognitive function and communication abilities (p < 0.01), as well as an improvement in caregivers’ well-being. Our data suggest that the physical presence of the caregiver in the rehabilitation setting, using a safe setting such as the FGC, can be a valuable means to increase ABI patients’ functional recovery and reduce caregivers’ anxiety and emotional burden.

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“…Physical contact, mediated by the sense of touch, is an essential part of social communication providing the experience of actual togetherness, which can be defined as social presence ( van Erp and Toet, 2015 ). In case of prolonged periods of social distancing and isolation, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic when physical distancing has been prescribed in order to limit the diffusion of infections, deprivation of interpersonal touch has been associated with greater loneliness and anxiety and people showed to crave intimate tactile interactions, underlining the importance of feeling the physical presence of others for psychological well-being ( Banerjee et al, 2021 ; von Mohr et al, 2021 ). Like never before, social distancing measures have been globally imposed, offering a new lens through which the psychosocial impact of deprivation of tactile interactions should be examined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…to limit the diffusion of infections, deprivation of interpersonal touch has been associated with greater loneliness and anxiety and people showed to crave intimate tactile interactions, underlining the importance of feeling the physical presence of others for psychological well-being (Banerjee et al, 2021;von Mohr et al, 2021). Like never before, social distancing measures have been globally imposed, offering a new lens through which the psychosocial impact of deprivation of tactile interactions should be examined.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Interpersonal Affective Touch in a Virtual World: Feeling the Social Presence of Others to Overcome Loneliness

2022

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Humans are by nature social beings tuned to communicate and interact from the very beginning of their lives. The sense of touch represents the most direct and intimate channel of communication and a powerful means of connection between the self and the others. In our digital age, the development and diffusion of internet-based technologies and virtual environments offer new opportunities of communication overcoming physical distance. It however, happens that social interactions are often mediated, and the tactile aspects of communication are overlooked, thus diminishing the feeling of social presence, which may contribute to an increased sense of social disconnection and loneliness. The current manuscript aims to review the extant literature about the socio-affective dimension of touch and current advancements in interactive virtual environments in order to provide a new perspective on multisensory virtual communication. Specifically, we suggest that interpersonal affective touch might critically impact virtual social exchanges, promoting a sense of co-presence and social connection between individuals, possibly overcoming feelings of sensory loneliness. This topic of investigation will be of crucial relevance from a theoretical perspective aiming to understand how we integrate multisensory signals in processing and making sense of interpersonal exchanges, this is important in both typical and atypical populations. Moreover, it will pave the way to promising applications by exploring the possibility to use technical innovations to communicate more interactively in the case of people who suffer from social isolation and disconnection from others.

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Social touch deprivation during COVID-19: effects on psychological wellbeing and craving interpersonal touch

Cited by 90 publications

References 79 publications

The Association Between Sociability and COVID-19 Pandemic Stress

The Association Between Sociability and COVID-19 Pandemic Stress

Is the “Family Glass Cabin” Useful to Safely Allow Inpatient–Caregiver Interaction in the COVID-19 Era? A Pilot Study on Severe Acquired Brain Injury

Interpersonal Affective Touch in a Virtual World: Feeling the Social Presence of Others to Overcome Loneliness

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