Relationship Functioning During COVID-19 Quarantine

Abstract

Close relationships will play a crucial role in protecting health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, the pandemic and quarantines to contain COVID-19 present acute, ongoing demands that put couples at risk of relationship problems. The current research tested how (1) couples’ pre-existing vulnerabilities assessed prior to the pandemic (attachment insecurity) and (2) stress during a mandated quarantine predicted residual changes in relationship problems, satisfaction and commitment. When people experienced high levels of stress, greater own and partner attachment anxiety (assessed prior to the quarantine) predicted residual increases in relationship problems, and in turn, residual decreases in satisfaction and commitment (controlling for pre-quarantine problems, satisfaction and commitment). These vulnerability x stress patterns demonstrate that key models in relationship science can identify which couples are at most risk of relationship problems in the unprecedented context of a global pandemic and mandated quarantine.

Individual Motives for Security Influence Sexual Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Recent research has shown that the experience of external stressors due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative influence on sexual behavior and relationship dynamics (e.g., Balzarini et al, 2020;Lehmiller et al, 2020;Li et al, 2020;Overall et al, 2020;Zoppolat et al, 2021). Aligned with this, we found a relatively low frequency of sexual activity and a low number of sex partners in our data, suggesting that people may be having less sex than before the pandemic.…”

“…For example, recent research has shown people who perceived more risks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to adhere to social distancing guidelines during the pandemic (Abdelrahman, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has also had an impact on relationship functioning (Overall et al, 2020;, such that people who experienced more COVID-related stressors (e.g., perceived threat, financial strain, loneliness, and stress) reported more conflicts and poorer relationship quality with their partner (Balzarini et al, 2020;Zoppolat et al, 2021).…”

Not All in the Same Boat. Socioeconomic Differences in Marital Stress and Satisfaction During the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…People live with the fear of getting ill, losing their jobs, and weakening social relationships. Moreover, these challenges do not have an impact on the individual only, but on the family altogether (Panzeri et al, 2020;Spinelli et al, 2020;Overall et al, 2021).…”

How families matter for health inequality during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Barriers to communication weaken union stability and increase the stress experienced by the couple. Recent studies identify how stressors related to lockdowns increased within intimate relationships (Overall et al, 2020; Pietromonaco & Overall, 2020). As one implication, forced proximity through physical‐distancing policies is a central risk factor for aggression and anger, which could enhance relationship strain (Van Bavel et al, 2020).…”

“…Although providing detailed discussions of each of these ties is beyond the scope of this article, we aim to provide a conceptual framework focused generally on families and applicable across each tie. We point readers interested in a more detailed overview of intergenerational ties during the COVID‐19 pandemic to Stokes and Patterson (2020) or those interested in couple dynamics during the pandemic to a review by Pietromonaco and Overall et al (2020), as well as many other articles in the special issue from Family Processes on ‘COVID‐19, Families, and Family Therapy’.…”