A study involving 80 couples found that combining a nasal oxytocin spray with intimate touch or sexual activity sped up the healing of small wounds more effectively than other interventions. The research highlights oxytocin's role in reducing stress hormones like cortisol, which can impair immune function. Results suggest potential benefits for psychosocial health interventions.
Researchers led by Beate Ditzen at the University of Zurich in Switzerland conducted a trial with 80 healthy heterosexual couples, averaging 27 years old. Each participant received four small wounds on their forearms using a suction device. Over the following week, the couples were divided into four groups to test different interventions.
The first group took a twice-daily oxytocin nasal spray and participated in a Partner Appreciation Task (PAT)—a 10-minute structured discussion expressing gratitude and compliments—up to three times a week. The second group used the oxytocin spray without PAT, the third used a placebo spray with PAT, and the fourth received neither intervention.
Wounds did not heal faster in groups using oxytocin alone or PAT with placebo compared to the control. However, combining oxytocin and PAT slightly reduced wound size and depth. The most significant improvements occurred among couples who also reported touching or sexual activity, which correlated with lower salivary cortisol levels—the stress hormone that suppresses immune function.
"We see improved wound healing in that group that combines the [PAT] interaction and oxytocin, but that effect is much less strong than the effect for those who combine oxytocin with a naturally occurring touch behaviour, and even sexual or intimate behaviour," says Ditzen. "Now we know we have a really strong indication that oxytocin seems to be an underlying mechanism mediating these effects of positive couple interaction."
Previous studies link oxytocin, known as the 'love hormone,' to faster healing of oral ulcers via anti-inflammatory effects and associate couple hostility with slower blister recovery. Daryl O’Connor at the University of Leeds, UK, notes, "What makes the findings particularly exciting is that they suggest combining oxytocin administration with positive relational behaviours may enhance physical recovery—a promising direction for future psychosocial interventions in healthcare settings."
Anna Whittaker at the University of Stirling, UK, suggests higher oxytocin doses might yield similar benefits, especially for older adults with suppressed immunity. The study appears in JAMA Psychiatry (DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.3705).