Feeling down in the dumps? Well, get a hug, says a new Canadian study. After analysing data from the 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey, researchers found that people who get hugs regularly are more likely to report better mental health.
“For people who either benefit from affection or lack it, there are substantial differences,” The Globe and Mail quoted Jack Jedwab, executive director of the Montreal-based Association of Canadians Studies, as saying. According to Jedwab, the study’s findings make sense because affection has a clear link to being part of a healthy, loving community.