A nasal spray to cure loneliness
Key Takeaways
Loneliness affects nearly 58% of US adults and is linked to poor health outcomes, including higher risks of cardiovascular conditions, cognitive impairment, and mental health disorders.
New research finds that oxytocin administered via a nasal spray significantly reduces acute feelings of loneliness and improves social interactions during group therapy sessions.
Oxytocin may serve as an effective adjuvant therapy for patients during the initial phases of treatment.
Loneliness isn't just a fleeting emotion; it's a pervasive feeling of dissatisfaction with our social connections, leaving a void that many of us struggle to fill.
It’s not a mental illness, but loneliness has quietly become one of the most significant health challenges of our time.
Is loneliness the new epidemic?
The rates of loneliness vary globally, with the highest incidence in Eastern Mediterranean countries and the lowest in Southeast Asian countries.[] According to a report from Cigna, nearly 58% of US adults feel lonely, constituting an “epidemic of loneliness.”[]
Despite loneliness not being a mental illness, it is twice as common among those with mental health issues. Specific groups, including underrepresented racial communities, lower-income individuals, and younger adults, are more likely to report feeling lonely.
Chronic loneliness is consistently linked to poor health outcomes, with risks comparable to alcoholism, smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle.[]
It's also associated with higher risks of cardiovascular conditions, cognitive impairment, dementia, and worsening of depression and anxiety. Clearly, chronic loneliness is a pressing issue in contemporary society, demanding viable solutions.
Simple nasal spray
A recently published proof-of-concept RCT in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics explored a novel therapy for loneliness.[] The trial included 78 men and women who reported feeling lonely. Participants received a 24 IU dose of oxytocin via a nasal spray 30 minutes before each weekly group therapy session for four out of five sessions (excluding the first session). A placebo was given to the control group.
The study measured the patients' "state loneliness" (current feelings of loneliness), "trait-like loneliness" (persistent, long-term sense of loneliness), perceived stress, and quality of life.
The most fascinating results of the trial showed that oxytocin significantly improved the patients' acute state of loneliness and fostered positive interactions with group members.
While it didn't significantly improve long-term parameters like trait-like loneliness, quality of life, and stress, the immediate effects prove promising.
Oxytocin and synchrony
Patients suffering from loneliness often complain that they are missing a meaningful connection with others, which has been attributed to the loss of social and biobehavioral synchrony.
Social synchrony is the harmony in group interactions, where people mimic each other's gestures, expressions, and speech timing. It creates a sense of connection and understanding.
Biobehavioral synchrony takes social synchrony a step further by including both behavioral and biological aspects.[] It involves the synchrony of physiological responses like heart rate and hormone levels. Coordinated physiological responses enhance feelings of bonding and trust.
The Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics authors noted that oxytocin improves both forms of synchrony, particularly for people with low levels of trust, such as those experiencing trait-like loneliness.[] Other studies have also shown that oxytocin decreases stress reactivity and sensitivity, improves social interactions and enhances amygdala-hippocampal connectivity.
The science behind the magic
A 2023 review in Cell & Bioscience outlines the potential of oxytocin as a therapeutic tool for acute or chronic stress, psychosocial stress, and various stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders—such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD.[]
Exogenous administration of oxytocin in animal and human models affects the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala, causing the following:
Stress reduction by increasing oxytocin receptor expression and decreasing stress hormones and corticotropin-releasing factor levels
Anxiolytic effects by enhancing prosocial contacts (positive and supportive social interactions) and modulating CRHR1 levels in the medial prefrontal cortex
Strengthening memory by promotion of synaptic connections between neurons
Improving stress response and reducing the risk of addictive behaviors by stimulating neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus
Oxytocin's benefits also include reducing heart rate variability, HPA-axis activation, neuroinflammation, and oxidative damage, while improving overall stress resilience.
While there's no standardized treatment protocol for oxytocin as a therapeutic tool for loneliness, the most common route is intranasal administration of 24 IU oxytocin. Animal models have also used intracerebroventricular and subcutaneous administration.
Oxytocin is a social glue that brings people closer together, earning its nickname as the “cuddle hormone” or “love hormone” for good reason. Further research is needed to understand how the acute benefits of oxytocin on loneliness can be enhanced and extended to provide long-lasting effects against chronic loneliness.
What this means for you
Clinical trials show that oxytocin’s effects are short-term and best suited for acute loneliness, making it a valuable short-term adjunct therapy rather than a universal remedy for an underlying mental health condition. The oxytocin nasal spray would be particularly beneficial for patients at the start of psychotherapy, helping them stay engaged and continue their therapy sessions when they might otherwise feel overwhelmed.