A team of European and Israeli doctors An interesting study was published A study documented the effects of administering oxytocin, commonly known as the happiness hormone, to lonely people via a nasal spray.
Futurism report Oxytocin is typically released during physical intimacy, but it may also be released during other activities. The study was published in the journal Psychother Psychosom.
“This is a very important observation we made: Oxytocin was able to strengthen positive relationships with other group members right from the start and reduce feelings of acute loneliness.”
The study abstract states:
Loneliness causes significant health problems, and existing psychological interventions have shown limited positive effects on loneliness.Based on preliminary evidence of impaired oxytocin signaling in trait loneliness, the current proof-of-concept study used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design to investigate intranasal oxytocin (OT) as an adjunct to a short-term, module-based group intervention for individuals with high trait loneliness.
In the study, participants didn’t report dramatic reductions in loneliness, stress, or quality of life, but they did report a reduction in acute feelings of loneliness — a small difference, but the most surprising development was that the effects of the nasal spray seemed to last for several months after it was first administered.
“The psychological intervention was associated with reduced perceived stress and improvements in general loneliness in all treatment groups, improvements that continued at three-month follow-up,” said Jana Liebertz, lead author of the study.
another report Point out that “[l]Loneliness is not a disease. But it is a serious health problem. People who are lonely all the time are at higher risk for illnesses such as depression, heart disease and dementia.”
Futurism reports that oxytocin is associated with bonding, and the study’s results seem to suggest that participants found it easier to connect with others during the group therapy sessions they attended.
“This is a very important observation that we made: Oxytocin was able to strengthen positive connections with other group members right from the start and reduce strong feelings of loneliness,” Reiberts said.
“It may therefore be beneficial to support patients in this regard at the start of psychological therapy, since we know that as soon as a problem is pointed out, patients may end up feeling worse than before starting treatment. The observed effect of oxytocin administration may help affected people to stay focused and continue with treatment.”
Though the study was relatively small, the results are promising. But it’s unclear whether this will lead to a future treatment for loneliness. The researchers said more research is needed on the issue.
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