Love in the time of COVID-19: A brief report on relationship and individual functioning among committed couples in the United States while under shelter-in-place orders

Relational conflicts during COVID-19: Impact of loss and reduction of employment due to prevention measures and the influence of sex and stress (in the iCARE study)

This study explored the association between pandemic-related loss/reduction of employment, sex, COVID-19-related stress and relational conflicts. A sample of 5103 Canadians from the iCARE study were recruited through an online polling firm between October 29, 2020, and March 23, 2021. Logistic regressions revealed that participants with loss/reduction of employment were 3.6 times more likely to report increased relational conflicts compared to those with stable employment (OR = 3.60; 95% CIs = 3.03-4.26). There was a significant interaction between employment status and sex (x2 = 10.16; p < 0.005), where loss/reduction of employment was associated with more relational conflicts in males compared to females. There was a main effect of COVID-19-related stress levels on relational conflicts (increased stress vs no stress : OR = 9.54; 95% CIs = 6.70-13.60), but no interaction with loss/reduction of employment (x2 = 0.46, p = 0.50).

Workplace infection control measures and romantic activities of workers during COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective cohort study in Japan

Objective

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, non-married people are at high risk of loneliness. With social interactions restricted, it is important for non-married people to acquire a new romantic partner for their mental health and quality of life. We hypothesized that infection control efforts in the workplace influence people's social interactions, including romantic activities.

Methods

We conducted an internet-based prospective cohort study from December 2020 (baseline) to December 2021, using self-administered questionnaires. Briefly, 27,036 workers completed the questionnaires at baseline, and when followed up after 1 year, 18,560 (68.7%) participated. A total of 6,486 non-married individuals with no romantic relationship at baseline were included in the analysis. At baseline they were asked about the implementation of infection control measures in the workplace, and at follow-up they were asked about activities they performed with a view to romantic relationships during the period from baseline to follow-up.

Results

Compared to workers in workplaces with no infection control measures, the odds ratio (OR) associated with romance-related activities for those in workplaces with seven or more infection control measures was 1.90 (95% CI: 1.45-2.48, p < 0.001), and the OR associated with having a new romantic partner was 1.79 (95% CI: 1.20-2.66, p = 0.004).

Discussion

Under the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of infection control measures in the workplace and the expressed satisfaction with those measures promoted romantic relationships among non-married, single individuals.

COVID-19 distress and interdependence of daily emotional intimacy, physical intimacy, and loneliness in cohabiting couples

Introduction

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on relationship functioning, though effects have been heterogeneous. Reasons for divergent effects on relationship functioning remain unclear. Theoretical models suggest that it is not just stress exposure that leads to adverse relationships outcomes, but also subjective response to these stressors. Using data from a 14-day intensive longitudinal study of romantic dyads, we hypothesized that COVID-19-related distress would adversely impact one's own and one's partner's report of relationship functioning, on average. Interdependence at the between-couple and within-couple level was also examined.

Methods

Participants were 104 female-male romantic couples cohabiting the New York metropolitan area (Mage = 28.86, SDage = 7.69) between August 2020 - April 2021. Couples reported COVID-19 distress during a baseline interview and daily relationship functioning for 14 days. Multilevel models were specified for six outcomes simultaneously: female and male partner daily physical intimacy, emotional intimacy, and loneliness. Interrelationships of the intercepts of the six outcomes were specified, reflecting between-couple associations of each partner's stable outcome tendencies. Interrelationships of the daily residuals of the six outcomes were also specified, reflecting within-couple associations at the daily level.

Results

Female partner COVID-19 distress was inversely associated with her own emotional and physical intimacy and positively associated with her own and her partner's loneliness. Male COVID-19 distress was associated with his own loneliness only. There was significant interdependence at the between- and within-couple level, such that greater loneliness in either partner was associated with less intimacy in each member of the couple.

Discussion

Only one partner effect for COVID-19 distress emerged, such that female partner distress was associated with male partner loneliness; however, interdependence at the between- and within-couple level suggested that distress may adversely impact relational well-being over time. Future studies should examine reciprocal relationships between COVID-19-related distress and relationship functioning.

The work-family interface and the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review

In an unprecedented fashion, COVID-19 has impacted the work-family interface since March 2020. As one of the COVID-19 pandemic consequences, remote work became widely adopted. Furthermore, it is expected that other pandemics will occur in the future. Hence, this context represents a chance to gain deeper insight into telecommuters' work and family spheres. Following PRISMA guidelines, the present narrative review aims to synthesise the COVID-19 impact on the work-family interface. Out of 121 screened references, 32 articles that measure at least one of the following variables-work-family conflict (25), work-family enrichment (3), work-family balance (8), and boundary management (21) were included. A thematic analysis using NVIVO12 was conducted, from which eight topics emerged: "paid workload, unpaid workload, and gender"; "well-being and gender"; "job resources, job demands, and gender"; "couples and gender"; "parenting and gender"; "occurrence of work-family enrichment with work-family conflict and gender"; "enforced blurred boundaries, its management, and gender"; "boundary management impact on work-family conflict, work-family enrichment, and work-family balance." Overall, studies point out that COVID-19 had a complex effect on both work-family conflict and work-family balance, making it difficult to state whether these variables were mitigated or augmented. Findings demonstrated that COVID-19 produced little changes in work-family enrichment. As for the COVID-19 impact on work-family boundary management, individuals had to create new tactics to manage them due to the absence of boundaries between both systems. Besides, due to traditional gendered roles, the COVID-19 health crisis seems to have brought additional hurdles to couples and women.

Systematic Review Registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021278254], identifier [CRD42021278254].