Rhia Perks

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many couples are staying at home together for an extended period. This is likely to impact couples as they navigate their responsibilities while maintaining a healthy relationship during uncertain times. We conducted qualitative research to investigate participants’ perception on how relationships changed considering COVID-19 and social distancing measures. Data were collected through open-ended surveys (n = 200) which were completed weekly for 5 weeks and by semi-structured interviews (n = 48). Overall, 28.6% of relationships had gotten better, 28.6% worse, 29.9% stayed the same, and 8.0% were mixed. Both methods highlighted similar themes (communication, space, togetherness, sharing responsibilities, quality time, and support networks) including 15 sub-themes in the interviews. The study provides a unique insight into the impact of COVID-19 on relationships and provides techniques that have been identified by couples to increase relationship satisfaction for their own and others’ relationships.

The COVID-19 pandemic led many couples to stay at home together with minimal contact with others. As social distancing measures reduced contact with outside households, many partners could seek support only from one another. In two studies using a sequential mixed methods design, we investigated support-seeking behaviors in romantic relationships during COVID-19. In the qualitative study, semi-structured interviews (n = 48) showed differences in how and why partners seek support with an initial consideration of the role of attachment. We identified the following themes: direct support-seeking, indirect support-seeking, (in)dependence, and gender dynamics. In the quantitative study (n = 588), high COVID-19 worry, high attachment anxiety, and low attachment avoidance were associated with more support-seeking. Interestingly, we also found that when COVID-19 worry was high, individuals high in attachment avoidance were more likely to report seeking support. The paper provides a unique insight into the impact of COVID-19 on support-seeking behaviors in romantic relationships.