Imagine receiving a portable hug anytime you needed one.

That’s the idea behind a new device called a deep-pressure vest that delivers a “portable hug” called deep pressure touch stimulation (DPTS). While no replacement for a human hug, this type of stimulation has shown promise in multiple research studies that have examined its effectiveness for a range of childhood conditions:

Occupational therapists working with children suffering from autism, ADHD and sensory processing disorders have observed that DPTS can increase attention to tasks and reduce anxiety and harmful behaviors by providing different sensory stimuli.

DPTS is also part of a growing trend to improve the lives of adults with mental illness by using touch, sound and aroma to influence alertness, attention and their ability to adapt to their surroundings.

[...] Initial results of a study with students at UMass Amherst who did not have autism or ADHD showed that participants preferred Mullen’s prototype vest, which applies pressure that feels like a firm hug or swaddling, over the current gold standard weighted vest.

It’s not as ridiculous as you might think. Mullen, the inventor of the new device, recently won the $50,000 grand prize in the UMass Amherst Technology Innovation Challenge.

Is a self-hug device more helpful than a human hug? Surely not, but a self-hug device offers something a human hug can’t — immediacy and availability when a person might need one most.

Read the full article: Pressure Vest May Help Sensory Processing Disorders

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

Like this author?
Catch up on other posts by John M. Grohol, PsyD (or subscribe to their feed).

Comments

This post currently has 5 comments. You can read the comments or leave your own thoughts on our new comments page.

Trackbacks

ADHD Report» Blog Archive » A Portable Hug for You (5/23/2008)

Sometimes You Just Need a Hug (5/23/2008)

    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 23 May 2008
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.