JAKARTA - Many research results prove that hugging is very beneficial for the health of the human soul. Well-known US psychologists such as Paul Zak and Virginia Satir also stated in an article in the Feel Good Family that has been proven to be hugging every day can make a person happy and enjoy relationships with others.

Launching Psychology Today, Tuesday, December 13, Sebastian Ocklenburg, Ph.D., professor of psychology at MSH Medical School Hamburg, Germany said that there was a discovery of the latest facts about the benefits of psychiatric hugs. Like what?

Researcher Aljoscha Dreisoerner from Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, and his team conducted research on the positive effects of hugs on stress. In addition to investigating the effects of hugs from others, they are also researching the impact of hugging themselves to stress levels.

There are 159 volunteers who are asked to act in different job interviews. Then, they are given a choice, namely being hugged for 20 seconds by staff or hugging themselves for 20 seconds or not getting a hug at all.

As a result, volunteers who hug and hug themselves show lower levels of cortisol than those who are not hugged at all. These cortisol hormones play a role in influencing the body's stress-response. So, embraced by others and hugging themselves, both reducing the negative effects of stress.

Everyone agrees that cuddling can have a positive effect. But, what exactly affects hugs in providing an mood-realing effect? A study led by Anna L. Dueren from the Department of Psychology, University of London, England, tries to answer questions about what affects the effects of hugs on human moods.

In the study, 45 women hugged the research staff for a second, five seconds, or 10 seconds and reported how the hug felt. Apparently, five seconds and 10 seconds of hugs were considered more enjoyable than a one-second hug. Thus, new hugs are felt optimal if lasting at least five seconds.

So far, there have been many studies that prove the benefits of good hugs for health, both physically and mentally. However, does there not yet know whether hugs have a different psychological effect in every phase of life? Is the benefit of hugs the same for every age?

Tia Rogers-Jarrrell from School of Health and Health Science at York University, Toronto, Canada, analyzed data on approximately 20,000 people aged 65 years and over from the Canadian Public Health Survey. From this survey, it was found that parents who routinely get hugs showed higher health levels than rare or no hugs at all.

This effect remains significant, although researchers are trying to control the factors that can affect the outcome, such as relationship status, income, chronic illness, and others. This indicates a strong relationship between hugs and health. Parents who receive hugs at least a few times a day feel healthier than those who don't.


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