In the same storm but not the same boat: Intimate relationship changes across the pandemic

Objective

The current study asked U.S.-based participants to describe how the pandemic had changed their relationship with their intimate partner during the initial lockdown in March–May 2020, and then again in February–March 2021.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major stressor for couples and families.

Method

The study includes 592 partnered individuals drawn from a larger study evaluating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on life at home. Participants were 84.5% women, and 89.8% were White. Responses were coded by a four-person team using a pragmatic coding approach with good reliability.

Results

Codes were grouped together into five categories: stated emotion words, positive changes, negative changes, changes described with mixed emotional descriptors by different participants, and changes in parenting (that did not always have a specific valence). At Time 1, 52% of respondents noted positive changes and 60% of respondents described negative changes. At Time 3, 68% indicated positive changes and 65% indicated negative changes.

Conclusion

Findings suggest great variability in experiences that couples and families have had over the past few years.

Implications

This combination of open-ended inquiry and longitudinal study offers a unique perspective on the effects of the pandemic on family life.