Covid-19 Research

Mini Review

Emotional and Physical Intimacy in Couples: Implications for Psychological and Physical Health

Journal of Biomedical Research & Environmental Sciences article abstract with citation details, DOI, publication dates, subject areas, full text links, and references.

View DOI Submit Manuscript

Article Details

Publication record, authors, dates, abstract, and full text access.

Open Access
Article Type Mini Review
Subject Medicine Group
OCLC JBRES Record
Faisal Abdullatif Alnaser*
Issue: Volume7-Issue2
Pages: 1-5
Received: 2026-01-30
Accepted: 2026-02-24
Published: 2026-02-25

Abstract

Introduction: Rising divorce rates globally represent a significant social concern. Among many reasons, the most important are poor communication, accounting for 38% of divorces, while sexual dissatisfaction represents a very high critical contributing factor.
Aim: We examined the role of emotional and physical intimacy in marital stability and the physical and psychological advantages of affectionate communication, physical touch, and intimacy.
Methods: Literature was reviewed to explore reasons for increasing divorce rates, the relationships between intimacy, communication, and successful marital relationships, and the psychological and physical benefits of couples' intimacy. The review also highlights how healthy sexual and emotional relationships contribute to physical well-being, stable mental health, and overall quality of life.
Results: Evidence shows strong beneficial health effects of intimate behaviors between partners, related to neurochemical responses such as oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, with cortisol reduction. These effects help improve health, reduce cardiovascular disease risk, enhance immune function, improve mental health, reduce anxiety and depression, act as natural analgesia, and improve sleep quality.
Conclusion: Emotional and physical intimacy are essential for marital stability through measurable physiological mechanisms. Physical affection has effects similar to pharmacological interventions. Sexual intimacy significantly affects psychological, emotional, and physical health, contributing to long-term satisfaction and family stability.

FullText HTML FullText PDF DOI: 10.37871/jbres2272 Crossmark

Certificate of Publication

Certificate of Publication

Copyright

© 2026 Alnaser FA. Distributed under Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 Creative CommonsAttribution

How to cite this article

Alnaser FA.Emotional and Physical Intimacy in Couples: Implications for Psychological and Physical Health. J Biomed Res Environ Sci. 2026 Feb 24; 7(2): 5. Doi: 10.37872/ jbres2272

Subject area(s)

Mental Health

References

  1. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Children & divorce [Internet]. Alexandria (VA): AAMFT; [cited 2026 Feb 25]. Available from:
  2. https://www.aamft.org/AAMFT/Consumer_Updates/Children_and_Divorce.aspx
  3. Regan A, Walsh LC, Horton C, Rodriguez A, Kaufman VA. Contextualizing marital dissatisfaction: examining profiles of discordant spouses across life domains. Front Psychol. 2025 Mar 19;16:1458129.
  4. Lari N, Al-Thani M. Divorce legislation in the Arab Gulf: trends and educational differentials. J Arabian Stud. 2021;11(2):289-313.
  5. Mendoza JE, Tolba M, Saleh Y. Strengthening marriages in Egypt: impact of divorce on women. Behav Sci (Basel). 2019 Dec 25;10(1):14.
  6. Mohnblatt D. Divorce rates in the Arab world are increasing. Here’s why [Internet]. The Media Line. 2022 Jul 31 [cited 2026 Feb 25]. Available from:
  7. https://themedialine.org
  8. Shawky M, Farouk SE, Al-Awadhi T. The effects of sociodemographic characteristics on divorce rates in Oman: spatial modeling of marital separations. Prof Geogr. 2020 Mar;72(2):1-16.
  9. Scott SB, Rhoades GK, Stanley SM, Allen ES, Markman HJ. Reasons for divorce and recollections of premarital intervention: implications for improving relationship education. Couple Fam Psychol. 2013 Jun;2(2):131-145.
  10. University of Arizona Global Campus. The psychology behind the 5 love languages [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2026 Feb 25]. Available from:
  11. https://www.uagc.edu/blog/the-psychology-behind-the-5-love-languages
  12. Arab Times. Poor communication and lack of respect among major causes of divorce in Kuwait [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2026 Feb 25]. Available from:
  13. https://www.arabtimesonline.com
  14. Abreu-Afonso J, Ramos MM, Queiroz-Garcia I, Leal I. How couple's relationship lasts over time? A model for marital satisfaction. Psychol Rep. 2022 Jun;125(3):1601-1627.
  15. Chen G, Chen Y, Fan Y, Zhang Z, Chen G, Wu J, Abidin NEZ. The impact of a love language game intervention on relationship satisfaction among Chinese couples in China and Malaysia: examining the role of individualism-collectivism. BMC Psychol. 2025 Jul 9;13(1):756.
  16. Carter CS. Oxytocin and love: myths, metaphors and mysteries. Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol. 2021 Dec 27;9:100107.
  17. Paredes RG, Agmo A. Has dopamine a physiological role in the control of sexual behavior? A critical review of the evidence. Prog Neurobiol. 2004 Jun;73(3):179-226.
  18. Pearce E, Wlodarski R, Machin A, Dunbar RIM. Variation in the ?-endorphin, oxytocin, and dopamine receptor genes is associated with different dimensions of human sociality. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 May 16;114(20):5300-5305.
  19. Cameron DD, et al. Thigmomorphogenesis: plant growth responses to mechanical stress. Plant Physiol. 2017;74(3):1689-1696.
  20. Swann G. The skin is the body's largest organ. J Vis Commun Med. 2010 Dec;33(4):148-149.
  21. Ferreira BR, Aguirre CC, Rapoport-Hubschman N, Adewuya AO, Canchy L, Morizet D, Vincenzi F, McGlone FP. The skin-brain connection and pleasant touch as supportive care for psychocutaneous disorders. Skin Health Dis. 2023 Dec 1;4(1):e310.
  22. Bremner AJ, Spence C. The development of tactile perception. Adv Child Dev Behav. 2017;52:227-268.
  23. McGlone F, Uvnäs Moberg K, Norholt H, Eggart M, Müller-Oerlinghausen B. Touch medicine: bridging the gap between recent insights from touch research and clinical medicine and its special significance for the treatment of affective disorders. Front Psychiatry. 2024 May 22;15:1390673.
  24. Khan IA, Quatman CE. What's important: the power of touch. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2021 May 19;103(10):947-948.
  25. 6 kinds of touch every marriage needs [Internet]. [cited 2026 Feb 25]. Available from:
  26. https://hotholyhumorous.com
  27. Romney et al. Hugs and cortisol awakening response the next day: an ecological momentary assessment study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Mar 30;20(7):5340.
  28. Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Turner RB, Doyle WJ. Does hugging provide stress-buffering social support? A study of susceptibility to upper respiratory infection and illness. Psychol Sci. 2015 Feb;26(2):135-147.
  29. Dreisoerner A, Junker NM, Schlotz W, Heimrich J, Bloemeke S, Ditzen B, van Dick R. Self-soothing touch and being hugged reduce cortisol responses to stress: a randomized controlled trial. Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol. 2021 Oct 8;8:100091.
  30. Light KC, Grewen KM, Amico JA. More frequent partner hugs and higher oxytocin levels are linked to lower blood pressure and heart rate in premenopausal women. Biol Psychol. 2005 Apr;69(1):5-21.
  31. Xie Y, Feeney BC. A narrative review of research linking non-sexual social touch to sleep quality. J Sleep Res. 2024 Oct;33(5):e14174.
  32. Hendrie CA, Brewer G. Kissing as an evolutionary adaptation to protect against human cytomegalovirus-like teratogenesis. Med Hypotheses. 2010 Feb;74(2):222-224.
  33. Armijos Briones M, Aguila Gaibor M, Bermúdez Velásquez A. Kissing as a protective factor against decreased salivary pH: protocol for a randomized clinical trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2025 Jul 17;14:e65253.
  34. Kimata H. Kissing selectively decreases allergen-specific IgE production in atopic patients. J Psychosom Res. 2006 May;60(5):545-547.
  35. Floyd K. Lipidemic effects of kissing are mediated by stress: results from a national probability sample. Health Commun. 2023 Oct;38(10):2026-2034.
  36. Frappier J, Toupin I, Levy JJ, Aubertin-Leheudre M, Karelis AD. Energy expenditure during sexual activity in young healthy couples. PLoS One. 2013 Oct 24;8(10):e79342.
  37. Alpert JS. Philematology: the science of kissing. Am J Med. 2013 Jun;126(6):466.
  38. Colgate. The risks and benefits of kissing on oral health [Internet]. 2023 Jan 9 [cited 2026 Feb 25]. Available from:
  39. https://www.colgate.com
  40. Clark AN, Lefkowitz ES. Sexual and affectionate behaviors and satisfaction for adults in romantic relationships: a latent profile analysis. Arch Sex Behav. 2025 Jan;54(1):175-188.
  41. The Holy Quran. Surah Al-Baqarah 2:187, 223.
  42. Galinsky AM, Waite LJ. Sexual activity and psychological health. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2014 May;69(3):482-492.
  43. Hambach A, et al. The impact of sexual activity on idiopathic headaches: an observational study. Cephalalgia. 2013 Apr;33(6):384-389.
  44. Mayo Clinic. Women's sexual health: talking about sexual needs [Internet]. [cited 2026 Feb 25]. Available from:
  45. https://www.mayoclinic.org
  46. Mollaioli D, et al. Benefits of sexual activity on psychological, relational, and sexual health during the COVID-19 breakout. J Sex Med. 2021 Jan;18(1):35-49.
  47. Wagner BG. Marriage, cohabitation, and sexual exclusivity: unpacking the effect of marriage. Soc Forces. 2019 Mar;97(3):1231-1256.
  48. Hurlemann R, et al. Oxytocin enhances amygdala-dependent, socially reinforced learning and emotional empathy in humans. J Neurosci. 2010;30:4999-5007.
  49. Xue-Rui T, et al. Changes of blood pressure and heart rate during sexual activity in healthy adults. Blood Press Monit. 2008 Aug;13(4):211-217.
  50. Najmabadi S, Schliep KC, Simonsen SE, Porucznik CA, Egger MJ, Stanford JB. Characteristics of menstrual cycles with or without intercourse in women with no known subfertility. Hum Reprod Open. 2022 Sep 27;2022(4):hoac039.
  51. Ein-Dor T, Hirschberger G. Sexual healing: daily diary evidence that sex relieves stress for men and women in satisfying relationships. J Soc Pers Relat. 2012;29(1):126-139.
  52. Zhang W. The role of sex in intimate relationships: an exploration based on Martin Buber's intersubjective theory. Front Psychol. 2022 Apr 25;13:850278.
  53. Liu H, Waite LJ, Shen S, Wang DH. Is sex good for your health? A national study on partnered sexuality and cardiovascular risk among older men and women. J Health Soc Behav. 2016 Sep;57(3):276-296.
  54. Ziaee T, et al. The relationship between marital and sexual satisfaction. Psychiatry Behav Sci. 2014 Summer;8(2):44-51.
  55. Bahrami Vazir E, et al. The correlation between sexual dysfunction and intimate partner violence in young women during pregnancy. BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2020 Sep 14;20(1):24.
Publish with JBRES — Peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary Open Access with rapid review, DOI, and global visibility.
Double-Blind CrossRef DOI Discoverable
Submit Manuscript Membership