Understanding relationship satisfaction during covid-19: Assessing unstable work experiences and negative communication

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in economic concerns and disruptions in daily life for many families, which may amplify relational strains and create new tensions between romantic partners. Economic stressors may be particularly salient to later relationship quality in the context of more negative relationship functioning. This study investigated dyadic trajectories of relationship satisfaction in 116 different-sex couples over a 6-month period during the pandemic. We explored the impact of unstable work experiences on later relationship satisfaction, and if this effect was exacerbated by higher levels of negative communication. Men and women had different initial levels of relationship satisfaction, but indistinguishable rates of change in satisfaction. For men, reports of unstable work experiences early in the pandemic were positively associated with declines in relationship satisfaction, but this was not the case for women. The consequential impact of unstable work experiences did not differ based on levels of negative communication, nor was negative communication early in the pandemic related to either partner's change in satisfaction over time. We conclude by highlighting the importance of accounting for the context in which relationships develop. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Stress, Dyadic Coping, and Relationship Instability During the COVID-19 Pandemic

How romantic partners respond to stress has important implications for the well-being of their relationship. In this study, we examined the effects of three types of stress on relationship instability and evaluated individuals? perceptions of their partner?s dyadic coping as a mediator in a sample of 117 different-gender couples (N = 234) across 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that perceived stress, but not economic pressure or pandemic concerns, was associated with increases in relationship instability for both men and women. For women but not men, perceived stress was negatively associated with dyadic coping, and dyadic coping was related to lower relationship instability. Although direct effects were present for most of the variables of interest, dyadic coping did not mediate the associations between stress and relationship instability for either partner. These findings underscore the direct paths between stress, adaptive responses, and relationship instability, building upon past theorizing and research on stress and dyadic coping.