The physiological and emotional effects of touch : Assessing a hand-massage intervention with high self-critics
(2017) In Psychiatry Research 250. p.221-227- Abstract
Research demonstrates that highly self-critical individuals can respond negatively to the initial introduction of a range of therapeutic interventions. Yet touch as a form of therapeutic intervention in self-critical individuals has received limited prior investigation, despite documentation of its beneficial effects for well-being. Using the Forms of Self-Criticism/Self-Reassuring Scale, 15 high- and 14 low- self-critical individuals (from a sample of 139 females) were recruited to assess how self-criticism impacts upon a single instance of focused touch. All participants took part in a hand massage- and haptic control- intervention. Salivary cortisol and alpha amylase, as well as questionnaire measures of emotional responding were... (More)
Research demonstrates that highly self-critical individuals can respond negatively to the initial introduction of a range of therapeutic interventions. Yet touch as a form of therapeutic intervention in self-critical individuals has received limited prior investigation, despite documentation of its beneficial effects for well-being. Using the Forms of Self-Criticism/Self-Reassuring Scale, 15 high- and 14 low- self-critical individuals (from a sample of 139 females) were recruited to assess how self-criticism impacts upon a single instance of focused touch. All participants took part in a hand massage- and haptic control- intervention. Salivary cortisol and alpha amylase, as well as questionnaire measures of emotional responding were taken before and after the interventions. Following hand massage, analyses revealed cortisol decreased significantly across all participants; and that significant changes in emotional responding reflected well-being improvements across all participants. Supplementary analyses further revealed decreased alpha amylase responding to hand massage as compared to a compassion-focused intervention in the same (highly self-critical) individuals. Taken together, the physiological and emotional data indicate high self-critical individuals responded in a comparable manner to low self-critical individuals to a single instance of hand massage. This highlights that focused touch may be beneficial when first engaging highly self-critical individuals with specific interventions.
(Less)
- author
- Maratos, Frances A. ; Duarte, Joana LU ; Barnes, Christopher ; McEwan, Kirsten ; Sheffield, David and Gilbert, Paul
- publishing date
- 2017-04-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Alpha amylase, Cortisol, Criticism, Massage, Therapy, Touch, Well-being
- in
- Psychiatry Research
- volume
- 250
- pages
- 7 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:28167436
- scopus:85012307063
- ISSN
- 0165-1781
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.066
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd
- id
- 5cdd639f-af3f-4d0e-aeab-3c8c9e4251e1
- date added to LUP
- 2021-11-18 13:02:44
- date last changed
- 2024-04-20 16:21:37
@article{5cdd639f-af3f-4d0e-aeab-3c8c9e4251e1,
abstract = {{<p>Research demonstrates that highly self-critical individuals can respond negatively to the initial introduction of a range of therapeutic interventions. Yet touch as a form of therapeutic intervention in self-critical individuals has received limited prior investigation, despite documentation of its beneficial effects for well-being. Using the Forms of Self-Criticism/Self-Reassuring Scale, 15 high- and 14 low- self-critical individuals (from a sample of 139 females) were recruited to assess how self-criticism impacts upon a single instance of focused touch. All participants took part in a hand massage- and haptic control- intervention. Salivary cortisol and alpha amylase, as well as questionnaire measures of emotional responding were taken before and after the interventions. Following hand massage, analyses revealed cortisol decreased significantly across all participants; and that significant changes in emotional responding reflected well-being improvements across all participants. Supplementary analyses further revealed decreased alpha amylase responding to hand massage as compared to a compassion-focused intervention in the same (highly self-critical) individuals. Taken together, the physiological and emotional data indicate high self-critical individuals responded in a comparable manner to low self-critical individuals to a single instance of hand massage. This highlights that focused touch may be beneficial when first engaging highly self-critical individuals with specific interventions.</p>}},
author = {{Maratos, Frances A. and Duarte, Joana and Barnes, Christopher and McEwan, Kirsten and Sheffield, David and Gilbert, Paul}},
issn = {{0165-1781}},
keywords = {{Alpha amylase; Cortisol; Criticism; Massage; Therapy; Touch; Well-being}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{04}},
pages = {{221--227}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Psychiatry Research}},
title = {{The physiological and emotional effects of touch : Assessing a hand-massage intervention with high self-critics}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.066}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.066}},
volume = {{250}},
year = {{2017}},
}