Health

Study Finds - It’s official: a hug can make a world of difference. Scientists have confirmed that touching others (with their consent, of course) really does have a beneficial effect when it comes to pain and mental health. Moreover, a team in Germany discovered that just a brief touch can ease feelings of pain and depression — even if this touch comes from a robot! The researchers from Bochum, Duisburg-Essen, and Amsterdam reviewed over 130 international studies involving roughly 10,000 people to figure out if touching truly carries benefits for human well-being. That review came to the unmistakable conclusion that touching others alleviates pain, depression, and anxiety. Interestingly, those studies also concluded that the touch doesn’t have to last all that long — or involve another human being. Objects like social robots, weighted blankets, and pillows also helped people to feel better.

PBS -  As recently as the early '80s, about three of every four doctors in the U.S. worked for themselves, owning small clinics. Today, some 75 percent of physicians are employees of hospital systems or large corporate entities