Oxytocin Nasal Spray

A new study, published in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry, suggests that Oxytocin may help make it easier for couples to discuss difficult issues. The couples who took part in the Swiss based study were given oxytocin nasal spray or a placebo spray before having a ‘conflict discussion’ in the laboratory.  Those couples who had received the oxytocin were found to communicate more positively and had lower stress levels.

According to Beate Ditzen, the author of the study,

“[Oxytocin] might help us to pronounce the effects of standard treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, by possibly making the benefits of social interaction more accessible to the individual. But it probably will not replace these standard treatments.”