Evaluating the Effect of Positive Touch on Moods of Mothers of Premature Infants Hospitalized in NICU: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: The birth and hospitalization of a premature infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can cause mood swings in mothers. Improving these mothers’ moods and reducing their stress is a care priority, which can be achieved by applying some innovative = strategies like using positive touch. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of positive touch on mood states of mothers of premature infants hospitalized in the NICU. Methods: The present randomized clinical trial was conducted on 80 mothers whose premature infants were hospitalized in the NICU of two hospitals in northern Iran in 2018. The participants were divided into two equal groups (n = 40) of experimental and control. All participants received a Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire both at the time of admission and discharge. The experimental group received positive touch from the beginning of admission to the NICU until the time of discharge, while the control group only received the routine care. Results: The mean and standard deviation of mothers’ mood scores before the intervention (74.35 ± 36.27) were significantly higher compared to after the intervention (48.63 ± 16.02) (P = 0.001). Moreover, the mean and standard deviation for the sub-components were as follows: (1) tension before intervention (13.6 ± 7.49) vs. after intervention (7.45 ± 4.107) (P < 0.001); (2) depression before intervention (15.73 ± 13.11) vs. after intervention (7.5 ± 8.85) (P < 0.001); (3) fatigue before intervention (7.5 ± 6.47) vs. after intervention (3.95 ± 2.88) (P < 0.001); (4) confusion before intervention (9.63 ± 4.65) vs. after intervention (6.73 ± 2.42) (P < 0.001); (5) anger before intervention (12.97 ± 9.58) vs. after intervention (6.07 ± 4.42) (P < 0.001); and (6) vigor before intervention (14.93 ± 4.59) vs. after intervention (16.93 ± 3.21) (P = 0.001). As the figures show, there were significant differences in all of the sub-components before and after the intervention. Conclusions: It is recommended that mothers be given more opportunities in the NICU to employ positive touch and establish a closer interaction with their infants.

Healing touch: Using the arts to increase healthy touch between people with PMLD and their carers

For adults with learning disabilities, touch is a necessary element of their everyday care. Yet touch delivered by care providers is a contentious and marginal practice, which is often avoided due to fears of abuse allegations, and the effects of touch avoidance can be significantly detrimental to the quality of care provided. The Safe Touch pilot project, developed with a London-based organization providing care to adults with learning disabilities, including those with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), used performing arts practices and massage to help the staff develop and utilize ‘positive’ touch – touch for communication, interaction and well-being – when working with service users. Fifteen service users with learning disabilities and PMLD along with the organization’s staff participated in the project. Drawing on the project’s processes and findings, some successes and limitations in employing performing arts activities with care staff to increase the use of positive touch with people with PMLD were identified.

Relatedness in gaming: How in-game touch influences player connection

As the number of individuals becoming gamers continues to increase, using video games as a medium to understand the social interactions and underlying motivations of players becomes ever so important. Interpersonal relationships, which develop from the social interactions that occur during gameplay have been found to contribute to player motivation and relatedness within the game (Rigby & Ryan, 2011). In the current study we examined how interpersonal touch, more specifically positive or negative touch conditions within a gameplay experience, impacted player motivation and inter-player impressions in 74 undergraduate students. In addition, observational data was collected measuring the quality of interaction between the participant in the study and a research confederate with whom they were playing an online game. Quantitative results indicate significant differences between the positive touch conditions perceived competence, effort/importance, and relatedness when compared to the control touch and negative touch conditions. Qualitative results also reveal that participants who were in the positive touch and negative touch conditions had more reactions not only cognitively (i.e. in game response) but emotionally (i.e. out of game response like laughing) than the control condition. Touch is only one aspect of behaviors that can help to foster a sense of connection between players. These results begin to highlight the effect of virtual touch on relatedness and motivation. More research is needed to help determine the exact levels of virtual touch, as well as the different types of virtual touch needed to elicit a change in the participant’s motivation and relatedness, with hopes that game developers may take virtual touch into account when creating a game.

Touch as a Part of Daily Communication with Family and Friends

The aim of this research was to explore the use of tactile communication in daily interactions with friends and parents. The participants were 429 students. The questionnaire consisted of: behavioral measures; touch-attitude scale; well-being; internet use; and demographic variables. Females showed more positive touch-attitudes, reported more touch behaviors in communication with same sex peers and parents, and reported more confidential talks with both friends and parents. Males and females did not differ regarding the use of touch in communication with the opposite sex. Participants used more tactile behavior in communication with parents than with friends. Those who used tactile communication more with parents, also reported more tactile communication with friends, and more confidential talks with both friends and parents, and rated higher the importance of the Internet in communication. Students with high levels of well-being showed more positive touch-attitudes, reported more tactile communication with both friends and parents and reported more confidential talks with friends.