A hug may do more than provide emotional comfort. A growing body of research suggests consensual physical touch can help ease stress and anxiety while producing measurable changes in how the body responds to stressful situations.
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis published in *Nature Human Behaviour* examined 137 studies involving nearly 13,000 participants in its meta-analysis. Researchers found that touch interventions benefited several physical and mental health outcomes, with particularly notable effects on pain, depression and anxiety among adults.
The analysis also found effects on physiological measures including blood pressure and cortisol, a hormone involved in the body’s stress response. The results covered different forms of touch rather than hugging alone, including touch delivered by people as well as therapeutic interventions.
Earlier research has specifically examined affectionate contact between couples. In a The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study involving 183 adults, one group held hands with their partners for 10 minutes while watching a romantic video and then shared a 20-second hug. A comparison group rested quietly without partner contact.
Researchers then placed participants through a public-speaking task designed to provoke stress. Those who had received affectionate contact showed smaller increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate than participants in the comparison group.
Scientists have also investigated oxytocin, a hormone involved in social bonding, as one possible factor behind the effects of affectionate contact. Research has found associations between frequent partner hugs, oxytocin and blood pressure, although the biological relationship remains more complex than a simple hug-triggered hormonal response.
The evidence does not establish a universal 20-second rule for hugging. The UNC experiment used a 20-second embrace as part of a broader warm-contact intervention, while the 2024 review covered different types, frequencies and durations of touch.
Researchers instead point to a broader finding: wanted physical contact can contribute to well-being and may help regulate the body’s response to stress. The effects vary depending on the type of touch, the person receiving it and the circumstances, making consent and individual preference an important part of any potential benefit.
