Self‐Soothing Touch Reduces Momentary Stress, Fatigue, and Loneliness Comparable to Brief Meditation: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Chronic stress has well-documented adverse effects on physical and psychological health. Beyond contributing to the development of fatigue, its impact is intensified by social stressors such as loneliness, making the development of effective interventions crucial. Our randomised controlled trial therefore investigated whether a 14-day self-soothing touch (SST) intervention reduces stress, fatigue, and loneliness compared to a minimal-instruction meditation control in 78 chronically stressed individuals (M_Age = 22.2 years; 81% female). We assessed acute (change pre-to-post session) and cumulative effects (across days) using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), while also collecting retrospective self-reports at baseline, post-intervention, and 4-week follow-up. For EMA outcomes, we additionally tested moderation by attachment anxiety and avoidance. Using linear mixed-effects models, both SST and meditation significantly reduced momentary stress (SST: b = -0.41, SE = 0.08, t = -4.79, p < 0.001; Control: b = -0.56, SE = 0.09, t = -6.43, p < 0.001), as well as fatigue (p_SST < 0.001, p_Control < 0.001) and loneliness (p_SST ≤ 0.011, p_control = 0.004) from pre-to-post session, with no significant group differences (all ps ≥ 0.212). SST but not meditation yielded a decrease in pre-session fatigue across the intervention period (b = -0.06, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001), with stronger reductions among individuals higher in attachment avoidance. In contrast, neither intervention had effects on retrospective measures (all ps ≥ 0.117). Overall, SST emerged as a feasible and accessible approach, comparable to brief meditation in reducing stress, fatigue, and loneliness, with additional benefits particularly for those high in attachment avoidance.