The health benefits of sauna use may extend beyond physiology, with communal rituals and social connection playing a key role in boosting mental well-being
Saunas and sweat lodges have long been rituals of socialization and communal connection among Scandinavian and indigenous cultures. The benefits of heat therapy continue to pile up, alongside the importance of social connection amid a loneliness epidemic, as new research adds to the purported perks of sweating it out among peers.
In a paper published in the journal “Social Science & Medicine,” researchers conducted three studies to understand the role of social identities in shaping well-being outcomes among sauna users in the U.K.
While the physiological benefits of saunas are clear — improved cardiovascular function, immune support and chronic pain management, to name a few — researchers wanted to explore the possibilities for supporting mental health.
To do so, they conducted three studies:
The first assessed self-reported changes among London-based sauna users to physical and mental well-being, in association with feelings of social connection to other users.
The second looked at the correlation between strong sauna identities and self-reported physical and emotional well-being.
The third study sought to answer whether perceiving sauna use as a ritual and experiencing emotional synchrony with peers during sauna sessions was linked to stronger sauna identities.
The researchers found that frequent, weekly sauna sessions were associated with greater mental health benefits, as the authors concluded that regular participation in sauna culture may offer mental health benefits through social connection with increased feelings of social belonging.
“Ritualised communal activities — such as sauna bathing — can foster emotional synchrony, deepen group bonds and consequently elevate positive affect,” the authors wrote.
They also pointed to previous research, which found that frequent sauna users (5-15 times per month) had better mental well-being scores than infrequent sauna users (less than 5 times per month).
The ritual of going to the sauna with others, they explained, is powerful enough to forge intense emotional bonds with fellow users while cultivating a shared identity in the process.
“The extreme heat of sauna, though enjoyed by many, may help to cultivate the reflection and feelings of transformation required to integrate one’s group identity into one’s sense of self,” the researchers wrote. “Sauna ritual may pose as a particularly potent form of social prescribing for those with both physical and mental health challenges.”
Based on the findings, the authors encouraged increased social prescribing of sauna rituals for those struggling with mental health challenges.
Back in the U.S., social sauna bathing is growing, with the success of contrast therapy concepts like Othership in New York City, which takes a more communal approach to cold plunging and sweating in the sauna.
The potential for social connection in these wellness settings is only growing. Culture of Bathe-ing recently hosted a social sauna festival on the Brooklyn waterfront, creating a shared cultural experience that reframed heat therapy as an opportunity for building community.