The Effect of Interpersonal Touch During Childhood on Adult Attachment and Depression: A Neglected Area of Family and Developmental Psychology?

Takeuchi, Mika; Miyaoka, Hiroaki; Tomoda, Atsuko; Suzuki, Masao; Liu, Qingbo; Kitamura, Toshinori

doi:10.1007/s10826-009-9290-x

Cited by 33 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Likewise, the aforementioned Anisfeld et al () study documented links between use of a touch‐conducive soft baby carrier and later infant attachment security. Although these authors' work importantly, albeit preliminarily, links touch to attachment‐related variables in adulthood, we concur with Takeuchi et al () that touch has been a neglected area within attachment studies and note that the systematic observation of touch in this field is in its infancy. Finally, it is important to note that important, methodologically rigorous research—like Fairhurst, Löken, and Grossmann ()—documents the physiologically and behaviourally positive effects of sensitive touch on infants.…”

Section: Touch In Human Primatessupporting

confidence: 88%

The untenable omission of touch in maternal sensitivity and attachment research

Botero

Langley

Venta

2019

Infant and Child Development

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Despite an increase in research examining maternal and infant touch, and documenting its public health impact, this mode of interaction has historically been omitted from related fields of developmental research in human and non‐human primates. The broad aim of this review is to examine to what extent mother–infant touch has been included in relational paradigms and research. We argue that although theoretical and empirical scholarship on attachment and maternal sensitivity conceptualizes touch as fundamental to caregiver–infant interactions and child development more broadly, touch is rarely operationalized or measured in caregiver–infant interaction paradigms or clinical interventions. Data from primarily human, but also non‐human, primates are reviewed to document the importance of touch, and clinical research is reviewed to document the formal use of touch in human attachment and sensitivity research and intervention. The review closes with recommended directions for future research and related implications. Highlights Review examining to what extent mother–infant touch has been included in relational paradigms and research across human and non‐human primates. Data from studies in human attachment, sensitivity research and intervention, and mother–infant interaction in non‐human primates are reviewed. Touch is theoretically essential, but practically excluded, from attachment coding, maternal sensitivity research, and intervention paradigms. Recommended directions for future research are provided.

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Section: Touch In Human Primatessupporting

confidence: 88%

The untenable omission of touch in maternal sensitivity and attachment research

Botero

Langley

Venta

2019

Infant and Child Development

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“…Interpersonal touch promotes psychological well‐being throughout the lifetime (Weiss et al ., ; Feldman et al ., ; Field, ; Burleson & Davis, ) with lack of touch in childhood a significant predictor of adult depression (Brown et al ., ; Takeuchi et al ., ). Skin‐to‐skin contact has demonstrable clinical benefits for premature infants and those born full‐term (Field, ; Bystrova et al ., ; Moore et al ., ; Feldman et al ., ), and in adults, social touch can increase liking of a person or place, engender pro‐social behaviours and increase trust (Morrison et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on central processing of CT‐targeted and discriminatory touch in humans

Trotter

McGlone

McKie

et al. 2016

Eur J of Neuroscience

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C-tactile afferents (CTs) are slowly conducting nerve fibres, present only in hairy skin. They are optimally activated by slow, gentle stroking touch, such as those experienced during a caress. CT stimulation activates affective processing brain regions, alluding to their role in affective touch perception. We tested a theory that CT-activating touch engages the pro-social functions of serotonin, by determining whether reducing serotonin, through acute tryptophan depletion, diminishes subjective pleasantness and affective brain responses to gentle touch. A tryptophan depleting amino acid drink was administered to 16 healthy females, with a further 14 receiving a control drink. After 4 h, participants underwent an fMRI scan, during which time CT-innervated forearm skin and CT non-innervated finger skin was stroked with three brushes of differing texture, at CT-optimal force and velocity. Pleasantness ratings were obtained post scanning. The control group showed a greater response in ipsilateral orbitofrontal cortex to CT-activating forearm touch compared to touch to the finger where CTs are absent. This differential response was not present in the tryptophan depleted group. This interaction effect was significant. In addition, control participants showed a differential primary somatosensory cortex response to brush texture applied to the finger, a purely discriminatory touch response, which was not observed in the tryptophan depleted group. This interaction effect was also significant. Pleasantness ratings were similar across treatment groups. These results implicate serotonin in the differentiation between CT-activating and purely discriminatory touch responses. Such effects could contribute to some of the social abnormalities seen in psychiatric disorders associated with abnormal serotonin function.

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“…Infant massage was linked to weight gain, reduced stress hormones (Underwood, 2009), and improved autonomic responses such as vagal tone (Feldman, Singer, & Zagoory, 2010). Moreover, parental touch throughout childhood is a protective factor to depression (Takeuchi et al, 2010). It appears that the self-controlled sensory stimulation from the comfort object produces a soothing effect much like parental touch calms down the child.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensory processing relates to attachment to childhood comfort objects of college students

Kalpidou

2012

Early Child Development and Care

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The author tested the hypothesis that attachment to comfort objects is based on the sensory processing characteristics of the individual. Fifty-two undergraduate students with and without a childhood comfort object reported sensory responses and performed a tactile threshold task. Those with a comfort object described their object and rated their attachment to it. Participants with a strong attachment liked the texture of their comfort object and sleeping with it. Smell sensitivity in childhood, seeking out tactile stimulation as children, and tactile threshold predicted the intensity of object attachment. Participants with comfort objects showed a higher tactile threshold and reported seeking out more tactile stimulation as children than participants without a comfort object did. These findings suggest that children with an object attachment seek out more sensory stimulation through touch, which in turn is soothing. Results support growing research linking sensory processing to psychological functioning.

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The Effect of Interpersonal Touch During Childhood on Adult Attachment and Depression: A Neglected Area of Family and Developmental Psychology?

Cited by 33 publications

References 49 publications

The untenable omission of touch in maternal sensitivity and attachment research

The untenable omission of touch in maternal sensitivity and attachment research

Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on central processing of CT‐targeted and discriminatory touch in humans

Sensory processing relates to attachment to childhood comfort objects of college students

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