Can Sniffing Sweat Relieve Social Anxiety?

Study suggests that other people’s sweat may help people with social anxiety.

Highlights:

Social anxiety disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that causes anxiety or fear in social settings
A new study says that certain odors found in sweat can help treat symptoms of social anxiety
If proven effective, this could be a non-drug alternative to currently used medications

Other people’s sweat can often be repulsive for some, but can it help some relieve their social anxiety A recent study sure thinks so.

The study suggests that people with social anxiety may benefit from mindfulness therapy combined with exposure to odors from others’ sweat. The pilot study that was presented this week at the 31st European Congress of Psychiatry.

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‘Can the smell of sweat be the next treatment for social anxiety?’

What is Social Anxiety?

Social anxiety disorder is an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. This fear can affect work, school, and other daily activities. It can even make it hard to make and keep friends. The good news is that social anxiety disorder is treatable.

Researchers said that these odors, which are known as ‘chemosignals,’ could be used to augment the benefits of mindfulness therapy, a type of psychotherapy that incorporates Eastern mindfulness practices with cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Previously, mindfulness therapy has shown to be effective in relieving both depression and anxiety symptoms.

Mindfulness therapy is a type of talk therapy that focuses on learning how to be more aware of thoughts, feelings, emotions, surroundings, and situations, and to reduce automatic responses.

The benefit that the research could bring is a non-invasive method of treatment enhancement for people who suffer from anxiety. By enhancing different forms of treatment that can be easily done independently at home, researchers also aim at reducing the pressure on the health care system whilst improving patient choice.

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How Chemosignals Influence Social Anxiety

The main objective of the study was to assess how people with social anxiety symptoms react to mindfulness therapy along with social chemosignals.

The participants of the study were 48 women, ages 18 to 35 with social anxiety, who were divided into three groups containing 16 people each.

The ladies then had to watch clips of films that were chosen to elicit a certain emotion like happiness or fear. Their sweat samples were then collected.

After this, they were instructed to go through mindfulness therapy. Simultaneously, they were exposed to either odor extracts from the various samples or to clean air.

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Sweat Has the Power to Relieve Social Anxiety

When compared to clean air, it was found that those who were exposed to the odors had a better response to therapy.

Interestingly, after one therapy session, the scores of anxiety dropped by 39% in the odor-exposed group. Comparatively, there was only a 17% reduction in scores in the group that received therapy alone.

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What’s the Science Behind Sweat and Social Anxiety?

Emotions are tricky things and can be influenced by several factors, even environmental stimuli. Sweat, which is a chemosignal, might have a part to play in the process. People suffering from social anxiety may have a higher sensitivity to social odors.

Combining both chemo-signal analysis with other treatment modalities for social anxiety, like mindfulness therapy, may improve the effectiveness of treatment.

Sweat as Potential Treatment for Social Anxiety

Chemosignals can be a great alternative to psychiatric medication as they have fewer side effects. Many people prefer non-drug treatments because of the stigma attached to drug use. All this only holds true if chemosignals are found to be actually effective against social anxiety.

A lot of people also look for ‘natural’ options for treatment. Not to forget, there is a stigma attached to sweat in itself.

Need for Further Research

Even though the results spike an interest, it is important to remember that this is a pilot study and the sample population of the study is also small. Another thing to consider is that the participants were exposed to clean air. People can often tell the difference between sweat and clean air.

However, the study does give insight into how chemosignals can be the future of treatment in virtual or in-person settings. With further research, the possibilities could be endless.

Reference:

Promoting social interaction through emotional body odours - (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/824153)

Source-Medindia