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Mid-International Conference on Public Health,
Best Western Premier Hotel, Solo, Indonesia, 18-19 April 2018 │258
https://doi.org/10.26911/mid.icph.2018.05.20
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HUGGING IN REDUCING
DEPRESSION AND THE FEELING OF POWERLESSNESS
IN THE AFFECTED ADOLESCENTS
Muhammad Ali Adriansyah, Sugandi, Lisda Sofia, Netty Dian Prastika
Universitas Mulawarman, Samarinda, East Kalimantan
ABSTRACT
Background: Hug therapy, or hugging therapy, is using hugs to provide
emotional comfort and healing. Recent studies have found that the simple act of
hugging can help people who suffer from stress, depression, anxiety, and
loneliness. The benefits of hugging come from the power of touch. The reason for
this is oxytocin, a hormone that brain naturally releases into the system whenever
the affected engages in hugging, cuddling, or physical intimacy. The study proved
that oxytocin helped people overcome social rejection. One of the studies on the
effects of this “cuddle hormone” was published in the medical journal
Psychoneuroendocrinology. Little is known on the effect of hugging on
depression and feeling of powerlessness in an Indonesian population. This study
aimed to examine the effectiveness of hugging in reducing depression and the
feeling of powerlessness in the affected adolescents.
Subjects and Method: This was a randomized control trial involving 20
adolescents affected with depression and feeling of powerlessness. This sample
was taken from out-patients visiting Atmahusada Mahakam Mental Hospital,
Samarinda, East Kalimantan. As many as 10 subjects in the experimental group
received hug therapy, and 10 subjects in the control group received no hug
therapy. The dependent variables were depression and feeling of powerlessness.
The independent variable was hug therapy. Depression was measured by Beck
depression inventory (BDI). Feeling of powerlessness was measured by Beck’s
Hopelessness Scale (BHS). The difference in the proportion of the affected
subjects after the intervention was analyzed by Chi square.
Results: After the intervention, the proportion of the depressed subjects in the
hug therapy group were 7 (70%) and in the control group were 9 (90%) with
p=0.265. Likewise, after the intervention, the proportion of subjects with the
feeling of powerlessness in the hug therapy group were 8 (80%) and in the
control group were 9 (90%) with p=0.531.
Conclusion: Hug therapy alone is not effective to reduce depression and feeling
of powerlessness in the affected adolescents.
Keywords: depression, powerlessness, hug therapy, adolescents
Correspondence:
Muhammad Ali Adriansyah. Universitas Mulawarman, Samarinda, East
Kalimantan. Email: ali.adriansyah@gmail.com. Mobile: 081335350368.
