REVIEW article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Psychological Therapy and Psychosomatics
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1603464
Untouched: Understanding the Role of Touch in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Provisionally accepted
- 1Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- 2Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Southern District, Israel
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People with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) engage in a wide array of rituals, including both visible behaviors and mental activities, with some of them involving the sense of touch. However, despite the essential role of touch in physical, emotional, and social interactions, the link between touch and OCD has not been thoroughly examined. This review explores the complex and under-investigated relationship between touch and OCD across three domains: (1) sensory phenomena, including "just-right" sensations and tactile over-responsivity; (2) social and interpersonal touch, particularly in the context of avoidance, reassurance-seeking, and comorbidities such as ROCD and autism spectrum traits; and (3) therapeutic applications, including tactile exposures, mindfulness-based interventions, and somatic practices. We distinguish between discriminatory and affective touch and examine how disruptions in these systems may contribute to symptom expression and maintenance. While empirical research in this area remains limited, we propose a conceptual framework to guide future studies, emphasizing clinical implications for assessment and treatment. Cultural and ethical considerations are also discussed, particularly regarding the use of touch in therapy for individuals with contamination-based OCD.
Keywords: OCD, affective touch, ROCD, social, Psychotherapy, Anhedonia, sensory phenomena
Received: 01 Apr 2025; Accepted: 12 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Flavian, Peled-Avron and Anholt. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Guy Flavian, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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