Longitudinal anxiety in couples during a global pandemic: Considering loss, attachment behaviors, and trauma coping self‐efficacy

Witting, Alyssa Banford; Busby, Dean M.; Rellaford, Susannah R.

doi:10.1111/famp.12742

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…The literature on couples examining loss in the wake of the pandemic is still developing. However, findings from the current study are in line with other recent work showing partner effects of resource loss; interestingly and perhaps hopefully it also suggests the potentially mobilizing effect of loss on a relationship in that higher resource loss in one partner associated with higher levels of attachment behaviors in the other partner (Banford Witting et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Yet, to date, the effects of the pandemic for couple and family systems appear mixed, with both positive (increased closeness) and negative (increased conflict) outcomes noted (Günther-Bel et al, 2020). To further illustrate the mix of potentially positive and detrimental pandemic-related outcomes for couple relationships, recent research has demonstrated that greater anxiety symptoms during the pandemic associated with greater resource loss within partners 3 months later in a dyadic study of couples in the early months of pandemic-related shutdowns, suggesting that depletion or vulnerability may cascade into further losses, as would be line with assumptions of COR theory (Banford Witting et al, 2021; Hobfoll et al, 2016). On the other hand, pandemic-related resource loss reported by one partner associated with higher levels of couple attachment behaviors 3 months later in the other partner (Banford Witting et al, 2021), potentially suggesting that couple systems may activate to compensate for pandemic-related disruption.…”

Section: Resource Loss and The Pandemic: Theoretical Lensmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…To further illustrate the mix of potentially positive and detrimental pandemic-related outcomes for couple relationships, recent research has demonstrated that greater anxiety symptoms during the pandemic associated with greater resource loss within partners 3 months later in a dyadic study of couples in the early months of pandemic-related shutdowns, suggesting that depletion or vulnerability may cascade into further losses, as would be line with assumptions of COR theory (Banford Witting et al, 2021;Hobfoll et al, 2016). On the other hand, pandemic-related resource loss reported by one partner associated with higher levels of couple attachment behaviors 3 months later in the other partner (Banford Witting et al, 2021), potentially suggesting that couple systems may activate to compensate for pandemic-related disruption. In summary, it appears possible for the consequences of the multifaceted pandemic to produce positive/supportive effects within relational systems, as well as detrimental effects and posttraumatic stress.…”

Section: Covid-19 and The Value Of Dyadic Studymentioning

confidence: 89%

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Resource loss, gain, and traumatic stress in couples during COVID-19.

Witting¹,

Tambling²,

Hobfoll³

2023

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

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Objective: This study was designed to understand how resource losses and gains during the early months of COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdowns in the United States longitudinally predicted variation in posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in couples by examining actor and partner effects. Method: A dyadic sample was recruited through the panelist company "Forthright" to complete an online survey asking about experiences with COVID-19 and PTSS. The sample included 535 heterosexual couples from several U.S. states who responded to the survey in April, July, and October of 2020. Results: Actor-partner interdependence modeling (Kenny et al., 2006) was used to explore longitudinal associations within and between partners. Results showed that higher PTSS at Wave 1 significantly, positively predicted both loss and gain at Wave 2 within and between partners. Loss at Wave 2 was a significant predictor of PTSS at Wave 3 within partners. Furthermore, indirect actor and partner effects from Wave 1 to Wave 3 PTSS are discussed. Conclusions: Greater loss, within and between partners, was a predictor of greater posttraumatic stress over time in this study. Further, PTSS were connected over time across partners. While gains have an important role in understanding the effects of the pandemic, loss may be pivotal for clinical focus in addressing posttraumatic stress in dyadic treatment. Clinical Impact StatementThese findings show us how gains and losses in resources relate to posttraumatic stress 3 months later within and across partners. We found that one's own and one's partner's losses were significant predictors of greater distress, while gains did not appear protective. This suggests that addressing loss (rather than locating gains) may be most important for clinicians working with distressed couples in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Resource Loss and The Pandemic: Theoretical Lensmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Covid-19 and The Value Of Dyadic Studymentioning

confidence: 89%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Resource loss, gain, and traumatic stress in couples during COVID-19.

Witting¹,

Tambling²,

Hobfoll³

2023

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

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“…Although it is important to understand the inter‐resonance of couple processes with respect to mental health outcomes, current scholarly work incorporating data from more than one partner to examine consequences of large‐scale stressors (i.e., disasters) is infrequent (see Banford Witting et al., 2020 for a review). As such, the current study was designed to contribute to burgeoning relationship‐oriented research surrounding the pandemic's impact (see Banford Witting et al., 2021). Specifically, the study aims include an examination of anxiety in couples over three waves across time during the 6 months early in the series of US pandemic‐related shutdowns as a function of sense of community and world assumptions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sense of community and anxiety during a global pandemic: The role of world assumptions in couples

2023

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The current study was designed to examine the role of sense of community at the outset of COVID‐19 pandemic‐related shutdowns as a longitudinal predictor of anxiety in couples. We also sought to investigate whether self‐reported changes in perceived levels of benevolent world assumptions would serve as an indirect conveyor of this association. Data were collected at three time points during the first 6‐months of pandemic shutdowns in the US and the current study utilized responses from 535 heterosexual cisgender couples. Mplus was used to path model lagged associations between sense of community at wave 1, world assumptions at waves 1 and 2 and anxiety symptoms at all three waves for both partners. Findings demonstrated direct effects within men and women with a stronger sense of community at wave 1 relating to lower anxiety at waves 2, and within women this effect extended to wave 3. Further, we found that a higher sense of community at wave 1 in men associated with perceived strengthening of benevolent world assumptions at the next wave for men and women. We noted that perceived strengthened benevolent world assumptions at wave 2 associated with lower anxiety at wave 3 within men. Indirect effects showed that a stronger sense of community at wave 1 associated with lower anxiety at wave 3 within men.

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