Since the beginning of the pandemic many people have noticed how much they miss physical touch and connection with other people. Being forced to be alone has had a deteriorating effect on people’s mental health. Why so? One of the reasons could be the decreased levels of oxytocin, or so-called “love hormone”.
Oxytocin is a hormone (check out my previous post to find out what it is!) that is secreted by the hypothalamus (a small region in the brain). It acts as a neurotransmitter (chemical communicator) in the brain. It is often referred to as “love” or “cuddle hormone” and the reason for it is that it is being actively released during hugging and orgasm. Mainly, however, it is involved in childbirth and lactation. During labour, it causes contractions in the muscles of the uterus, and as the cervix is widening, oxytocin is released, causing more contractions to occur. Oxytocin can also be prescribed as a drug or be used in a form of injections to stimulate birth, only under medical supervision as it can cause excessive bleeding, rapid heartbeat or, if used too rapidly, rapture of the uterus.
Oxytocin and lactation
During breast-feeding, the production of oxytocin is achieved by nipple stimulation. The oxytocin causes the muscles around the milk-making glands in the breast to contract. When the glands contract, they squeeze the breast milk into the milk ducts. Research shows that breastfeeding has a positive effect on a mother's physiological and psychological states, buffering depression and anxiety, as well as enhancing positive feelings when mothers see their infants' facial expressions. One study has suggested that oxytocin can aid emotion recognition in mothers. A study by M.Matsunaga et al. (https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0139) has examined the effects of endogenous (produced by the body itself) oxytocin fluctuation via breastfeeding on emotion recognition in mothers. Among mothers who breastfed daily, those who increased levels of oxytocin showed recognised more positive adult facial expressions, while the recognition of negative ones was reduced.
Oxytocin and romantic attachment
Well, what about love? A study conducted in 2012 has attempted to assess the role of oxytocin in romantic attachment. Participants included newly formed couples (3 months after they started dating) and “singles”. Couples were observed in their interactions and interviewed regarding relationship-related thoughts and behaviours. Levels of oxytocin were significantly higher in couples than singles and did not decrease in 6 months. Oxytocin levels during the first assessment differentiated couples that stayed together longer than 6 months from those who separated before that. Findings suggest that oxytocin might play an important role in early romantic attachment, as well as support the evidence that parental and romantic attachments might share some of the behavioural mechanisms.
Oxytocin and sex
Sexual activity has shown to stimulate the release of oxytocin, yet the process is not fully understood. Some studies found the correlation between the orgasm intensity and oxytocin levels.
Oxytocin and emotions
Oxytocin has an effect on emotional regulation and processing as well. It helps to regulate pro-social behaviors, including trust, empathy, gazing, positive memories, processing of bonding cues, and positive communication. Recent studies confirm that high levels of oxytocin lead to more accurate emotion recognition and processing, irrespective of the emotion type. This particular area of oxytocin functions is a popular topic for research as more data may lead to practical implications to aid people with various diseases. For example, oxytocin has been used to lower anxiety symptoms and help with social skills (such as making eye contact and recognising emotions) for autistic people. Here is a nice article where you can read more about the relation between autism and oxytocin: https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/the-connection-between-oxytocin-and-autism-explained/
Oxytocin and Fatherhood
Despite playing a significant role in childbirth and lactation, oxytocin in men and women actually facilitates many of the same mechanisms, such as bonding with children, romantic attachment, and reproduction for both sexes. Emory University study has shown that men after receiving boosts of oxytocin had an increased activity in the brain areas associated with reward and empathy when viewing photos of their toddlers. In general, oxytocin in fathers facilitates physical contact with their children during play and the ability to synchronise their emotions with kids.
Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275795#the_love_hormone
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0139
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27071915/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170217095925.htm
https://www.psycom.net/oxytocin















