Members in the Media
From: The New Zealand Herald

Why a hug is good for your health

The New Zealand Herald:

If you’re struggling to get your beloved under the mistletoe this year, then help is at hand.

Scientists have revealed that hugging is good for our health, helping to prevent infection and relieve stress.

They say just a cuddle or squeeze is enough to reduce illness symptoms and the more you do it, the greater the effect.

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in the US quizzed 400 people about their personal conflicts and the sort of support they received.

They then exposed them to a common cold virus and put them in quarantine.

The results showed that people who felt well-supported by family and friends were less likely to fall victim to infection due to stressful situations.

And hugs were responsible for one-third of the protective effect of social support.

Read the whole story: The New Zealand Herald

More of our Members in the Media >


APS regularly opens certain online articles for discussion on our website. Effective February 2021, you must be a logged-in APS member to post comments. By posting a comment, you agree to our Community Guidelines and the display of your profile information, including your name and affiliation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations present in article comments are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of APS or the article’s author. For more information, please see our Community Guidelines.

Please login with your APS account to comment.