ABSTRACT
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.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) pandemic has had a significant impact on multiple domains of daily functioning in communities, families, and couples. Research on couple dynamics amid mass stress events using dyadic data is still limited. As such, the current study employed a cross-lagged panel design with 535 cisgender, heterosexual couples to explore longitudinal paths between pandemic-related loss, attachment behaviors, trauma coping self-efficacy, and anxiety symptoms. Data were collected at three time points between April and October 2020. The findings demonstrated the potentially mobilizing nature of loss. Higher levels of loss associated with higher levels of attachment behaviors in partners later and higher levels of trauma coping self-efficacy for men in a partner effect at one lag. Higher levels of attachment behaviors generally associated with improved trauma coping self-efficacy at the next wave within and across partners, and higher levels of trauma coping self-efficacy appeared to offset later anxiety within partners. On the other hand, within partners, greater loss is associated with lower levels of attachment behaviors within partners across time. Furthermore, higher anxiety is associated with lower levels of TCSE and higher levels of loss within partners across most lags. Finally, higher trauma coping self-efficacy is associated with less loss within men at one lag, and greater loss within men at the later lag, which may demonstrate stress and efforts to mobilize to meet it. Indirect effects were found implying the intermediary nature of anxiety and trauma coping self-efficacy in explaining wave 3 anxiety. Implications for practice and further research are discussed.
La pandemia de la COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) ha tenido un efecto significativo en varios aspectos del funcionamiento diario de las comunidades, las familias y las parejas. Las investigaciones sobre la dinámica de pareja en medio de situaciones de estrés masivo usando datos diádicos aún son escasas. Por lo tanto, en el presente estudio se utilizó un diseño de panel de retardo cruzado con 535 parejas cisgénero heterosexuales a fin de analizar las pautas longitudinales entre la pérdida, las conductas de apego, la autoeficacia para afrontar el trauma y los síntomas de ansiedad relacionados con la pandemia. Se recogieron datos en tres intervalos de tiempo entre abril y octubre de 2020. Los resultados demostraron la índole posiblemente movilizadora de la pérdida. Los niveles más altos de pérdida se asociaron con niveles más altos de conductas de apego en las parejas posteriormente, y con niveles más altos de autoeficacia para afrontar el trauma en los hombres en un efecto de la pareja durante un periodo. Los niveles más altos de conductas de apego se asociaron generalmente con una mejor autoeficacia para afrontar el trauma en la fase siguiente dentro y entre los integrantes de la pareja, y los niveles más altos de autoeficacia para afrontar el trauma parecieron compensar la ansiedad posterior dentro de los integrantes de la pareja. Por el otro lado, dentro de los integrantes de la pareja, una mayor pérdida se asoció con niveles más bajos de conductas de apego dentro de los integrantes de la pareja a lo largo del tiempo. Además, los niveles más altos de ansiedad se asociaron con niveles más bajos de autoeficacia para afrontar el trauma y con niveles más altos de pérdida dentro de los integrantes de la pareja durante la mayoría de los periodos. Finalmente, los niveles más altos de autoeficacia para afrontar el trauma se asociaron con una menor pérdida dentro de los hombres en un periodo, y con una mayor pérdida dentro de los hombres en el periodo posterior, lo cual puede demostrar estrés y esfuerzos para movilizarse y ocuparse. Se hallaron efectos indirectos, los cuales indicaron la índole intermediaria de la ansiedad y la autoeficacia para afrontar el trauma a la hora de explicar la ansiedad de la tercera fase. Se comentan las consecuencias para la práctica y las investigaciones futuras.