Summary: A new study finds that oxytocin, the “cuddle hormone,” can reduce acute feelings of loneliness and strengthen bonds in group therapy settings for people suffering from chronic loneliness.
Although not a panacea, oxytocin shows promise as a supportive tool during treatment, potentially helping patients better overcome early challenges related to their loneliness.
Highlights:
- Oxytocin reduced acute feelings of loneliness during group therapy sessions.
- The hormone strengthens positive bonds between group members.
- Oxytocin could be a valuable tool to support patients in the early stages of treatment.
Source: University of Bonn
Loneliness is not an illness. And yet, it is a significant health problem. Depression, heart disease or dementia: People who live alone all the time are at higher risk of getting sick.
The team led by Dr. Jana Lieberz from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), who also conducts research at the University of Bonn, and Professor Dr. Dirk Scheele (Ruhr University Bochum) studied how to combat specifically against loneliness.
In a controlled study in which the universities of Oldenburg, Bochum, Freiburg and Haifa (Israel) also participated, 78 women and men who felt lonely received oxytocin, called the “cuddle hormone”, in the form of a spray. nasal.
The article is published in the journal Psychotherapy and psychosomatics.
Everyone probably experiences loneliness, a negative feeling that arises when one’s own social relationships are perceived as insufficient in terms of quantity or quality.
However, if it persists, it can be associated with many mental and physical illnesses. Despite this, there is a lack of effective interventions to reduce the chronic loneliness of affected individuals.
In a recent study, lead authors Dr Lieberz and Professor Scheele, together with first author Ruben Berger (UKB), investigated whether the bonding hormone oxytocin could help increase the effectiveness of the therapy group against loneliness.
In the proof-of-concept study, participants completed five weekly group therapy sessions, supplemented by administration of oxytocin in the form of a nasal spray. A control group received a placebo preparation.
Participants’ perceptions of their own feelings of loneliness were assessed at the start of the study, after all sessions had been completed, and then again at two follow-up time points (three weeks and three months). Additionally, acute feelings of loneliness, stress levels, quality of life, and therapeutic relationship were assessed at each session.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Lieberz, summarizes: “The psychological intervention was associated with a reduction in perceived stress and an improvement in general loneliness in all treatment groups, which was again visible during the follow-up examination after three months. »
Oxytocin did not have a significant effect on loneliness, quality of life, or perceived stress in general. However, compared to placebo, participants who received oxytocin reported a reduction in feelings of loneliness after the sessions. Additionally, oxytocin administration improved positive bonds between group members.
“This is a very important observation that we made: oxytocin was able to strengthen the positive relationship with other group members and reduce acute feelings of loneliness from the start. It could therefore be useful to support patients in this process from the start of psychotherapy.
“Indeed, we know that patients may feel worse initially than before starting treatment as soon as problems are reported. The observed effects of oxytocin administration may in turn help those affected to stay in the field and keep going,” says Dr. Lieberz.
The psychologist emphasizes that oxytocin should not be considered a panacea and that therapy is by no means always necessary to reduce loneliness. Although no long-term effects of oxytocin administration were observed in the study, the study results suggest that oxytocin can be used to achieve positive effects during interventions.
Further studies are now needed to determine optimal intervention models so that the observed acute effects of oxytocin can translate into long-term benefits.
About this research news on loneliness and oxytocin
Author: Petra Sandow
Source: University of Bonn
Contact: Petra Sandow – University of Bonn
Picture: Image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: Free access.
“Modular Oxytocin-augmented Group Intervention for Loneliness: A Proof-of-Concept Randomized Controlled Trial” by Ruben Berger et al. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics
Abstract
Oxytocin-augmented modular group intervention for loneliness: a proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial
Introduction: Loneliness poses a significant health problem and existing psychological interventions have shown only limited positive effects on loneliness. Based on preliminary evidence of trait-like impairment of oxytocin signaling in loneliness, the current proof-of-concept study used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design to probe the Intranasal oxytocin (OT) as an adjunct to a short-term modular program. -group intervention based on people suffering from high loneliness (HL, UCLA Loneliness Scale ≥55).
Methods : Seventy-eight healthy HL adults (56 females) received five weekly group psychotherapy sessions. HL participants received OT or placebo before the intervention sessions. The main outcome measures were trait loneliness measured at baseline, after the intervention, and again at two follow-up times (3 weeks and 3 months), and, assessed at each session, state of loneliness (scale visual analog), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale, PSS-10), quality of life (World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index, WHO-5) and therapeutic relationship (Group Questionnaire, GQ-D).
Results: The psychological intervention was associated with a significant reduction in perceived stress and improvement in loneliness in the treatment groups, which was still evident at 3-month follow-up. Occupational therapy had no significant effect on loneliness, quality of life, or perceived stress. However, compared to placebo, OT significantly facilitated the reduction of loneliness during sessions and significantly improved positive connections between group members.
Conclusion: Despite a significant improvement in loneliness after the intervention, OT did not significantly increase this effect. Further studies are needed to determine optimal intervention models to translate the observed acute effects of occupational therapy into long-term benefits.
News Source : neurosciencenews.com
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