Should I stay or should I go? Evaluating intimate relationship outcomes during the 2020 pandemic shutdown.

Abstract

Past research suggests that intimate partners respond to major stressors in different ways, sometimes by sticking together and sometimes by splitting up. Couples living through the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States are facing a unique set of stressors and are likely to experience changes in relationship outcomes as a result. The vulnerability–stress–adaptation (VSA) model suggests that relationship stability and relationship satisfaction are related to demographic variables, individual vulnerabilities (i.e., mental health), external stressors (i.e., finances), and relationship processes (i.e., communication patterns). The current study evaluates each of these variables as potential predictors of relationship satisfaction and thoughts of separating from a relationship, with the goal of identifying risk factors for relationship outcomes in the pandemic. A total of 782 adults with cohabitating intimate partners (89.8% White, 84.5% female) were recruited for an online study during the COVID-19 shutdown phase from April 3 through May 22, 2020. Results suggested that higher relationship satisfaction during the shutdown was related to not having children in the home, lower money stress, higher sexual fulfillment, lower relationship invalidation, and higher perceived fairness of relationship power. Higher thoughts of separation were related to younger age, higher verbal aggression, higher relationship invalidation, and lower relationship satisfaction. Overall, findings support the use of the VSA as a model for understanding the effect of pandemic stress on relationships and indicate that relationships are being affected by many aspects of the pandemic. Couples’ support interventions will need to be adapted to adequately promote relationship health in this difficult time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) © 2021 American Psychological Association