Social touch deprivation during the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced well-being

Social distancing in a Western society substantially reduced social touch, which in turn harmed psychological well-being, supporting the notion that touch is a relevant factor for resiliency. This research highlights that individuals who are not in a relationship are particularly vulnerable to the effects of social distancing.

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Publication Details

Journal
Frontiers in Psychology
Published
2026-01-08
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1672502
Primary Topic
Psychology of Social Influence
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Social touch deprivation during the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced well-being

Antje B. M. Gerdes, Georg W. Alpers, Svenja Mareike Roether
Frontiers in Psychology
Psychology of Social Influence
article

Social touch deprivation during the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced well-being

Antje B. M. Gerdes, Georg W. Alpers, Svenja Mareike Roether
article en

Abstract

Social distancing in a Western society substantially reduced social touch, which in turn harmed psychological well-being, supporting the notion that touch is a relevant factor for resiliency. This research highlights that individuals who are not in a relationship are particularly vulnerable to the effects of social distancing.

Frontiers in PsychologyVol. 16
University of Mannheim (DE)
No poverty
Openalex Percentile: Top 95%
Psychology of Social Influence
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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Social touch deprivation during the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced well-being — Antje B. M. Gerdes, Georg W. Alpers, et al. · Frontiers in Psychology (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS