Conclusion to the special issue: Relationships in the time of COVID-19: Examining the effects of the global pandemic on personal relationships

Abstract

This article serves as the conclusion of the special issue entitled “Relationships in the time of COVID-19: Examining the effects of the global pandemic on personal relationships.” The special issue includes 29 research articles with authors and samples from 28 countries spanning all continents except Antarctica. Romantic relationships between two heterosexual partners were studied most often in the special issue articles, but studies also focused on family relationships, friendships, and relationships between strangers. This article provides a summary of the special issue and its three broad themes: (1) stress, turbulence, conflict, and coping; (2) loneliness, isolation, and mediated communication; and (3) reflecting and reframing in relationships. The article concludes with the special issue editors’ reflections on relationship science and the pandemic.

Emerging adults’ cultural values, prosocial behaviors, and mental health in 14 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Taken together with the instability of this time period (e.g., financially, socially, geographically), the somewhat normative increase in externalizing and internalizing behavior creates elevated risk for some emerging adults. Indeed, a developmental stage characterized by experimentation, instability, and self-focus (Arnett, 2015), emerging adulthood boasts the highest levels of psychiatric disorders of any age group (40% of 18-to 29-year-olds; Arnett et al, 2014) and the measures taken to restrict the spread of the COVID-19 virus (i.e., physical distancing, closures, quarantining) may exacerbate this trend by removing the social support emerging adults depend on, especially if they live alone (Lannutti & Bevan, 2021).…”

The ABC-X’s of Stress among U.S. Emerging Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Relationship Quality, Financial Distress, and Mental Health

“…For example, based on 29 articles specific to relationships during COVID-19, Lannutti and Bevan (2022) discussed that in several of the studies from the Special Issue, dyadic coping between partners (defined as one partner communicating their stress to their partner and the second partner evaluating and responding in turn, for example with empathy) was a resource for individuals in couple relationships during the pandemic. To this same point, the COVID-19 pandemic may have offered individuals in romantic relationships opportunities to reflect and reframe in their relationships, including individuals reporting on how their relationship had changed in terms of sharing responsibilities, togetherness, and space because of the pandemic [ 56 ].…”

Dynamics of Couple Relationships in Relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic

“… prima temă este legată de stresul, turbulenţele apărute, conflictele şi adaptarea în contextul pandemic;  a doua se bazează pe singurătatea, izolarea şi comunicarea mediată de alte mijloace;  a treia temă tratează reflectarea şi recadrarea în relaţia de cuplu (Lannutti, &Bevan, 2022). Principalele surse de stres la debutul pandemiei sunt legate de măsurile impuse, de schimbarea rutinei zilnice, mai exact de lockdown, lucrul de acasă, limitarea sau chiar încetarea interacţiunii fizice cu celelalte persoane (Lannutti, & Bevan, 2022).…”