Tailoring dyadic coping strategies to attachment style: Emotion-focused and problem-focused dyadic coping differentially buffer anxiously and avoidantly attached partners

Attachment insecurity is associated with lower satisfaction and lower felt security in romantic relationships, especially during times of stress such as coping with a global pandemic. Heightened external stressors for couples are associated with poorer relationship quality, but how couples cope with stress together, or their dyadic coping strategies, is associated with the maintenance of relationship satisfaction. In the current study, we followed 184 couples living together during the COVID-19 pandemic to test whether specific coping strategies buffered people higher in attachment anxiety and avoidance from lower satisfaction and felt security in the early weeks and ensuing months of the pandemic. Our findings demonstrate that perceiving more emotion-focused dyadic coping—being affectionate and using intimacy—buffered the negative association between attachment anxiety and relationship satisfaction and felt security, both concurrently and over several months of the pandemic. In addition, problem-focused perceived dyadic coping backfired for people higher in attachment anxiety;they felt less satisfied when they perceived more problem-focused coping—which involves being solution-focused and using instrumental support—in their relationship. In contrast, people higher in attachment avoidance were buffered against lower relationship satisfaction when they perceived more problem-focused dyadic coping and were not buffered by emotion-focused coping. The current findings suggest the importance of tailoring coping strategies to a partner's attachment style for relationship quality and felt security during times of stress.

Emotion-focused dyadic coping styles used by family carers of people with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emotional wellbeing of family carers and people with dementia is associated with not only how each individual copes with stress and conflict, but also by how they cope together. Finding ways to positively cope together was particularly important during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, when other avenues of emotional support were less available. We explored how carers experienced and used emotion-focused dyadic coping styles during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted during the pandemic with 42 family carers, supplemented by quality of life scores collected both pre- and during the pandemic and household status. Abductive thematic analysis identified five styles of emotion-focused dyadic coping: common, supportive, hostile, disengaged avoidance and protective. The COVID-19 pandemic left many dyads unsupported. While many carers adapted, reporting increases in quality of life and enjoying the extra time with the person with dementia, others experienced dyadic conflict and reductions in quality of life. This variation was associated with dyadic coping styles, including challenges in using 'positive' styles and the protective use of 'negative' disengaged avoidance in the right situations. Dyadic coping styles also differed as a function of whether the dyad lived together. As many people with dementia are supported by an informal carer, considering how they cope together could help us to better support them. We make suggestions for dyadic interventions tailored by co-residency status that could help dyads identify and communicate coping needs, reconnect following avoidance coping, and replenish their coping resources through social support.

YES, WE COPE: Dyadic Coping as a Mediator Between Perceived Relationship Quality and Emotional Representation of COVID-19.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about social changes that have impacted the functioning and dynamics of couples in a romantic relationship, arising from the overwhelming amount of added stress they have endured. Specifically, the divorce rate in Portugal has increased after lockdown, which underscores the adverse consequences of COVID-19 on couples. A lower quality of the couple's relationship may worsen the emotional representation of COVID-19; however, the literature suggests that perceived partner dyadic coping responses have a great influence on adverse events. The aim of the present study was to assess the mediating role of partner coping in the association between relationship quality and emotional representation of COVID-19. We also sought to observe whether the length of the relationship moderates this association. Methods: Participants (N = 528) were adults living in Portugal (84.7% female) currently in a romantic relationship with their current partner for at least 1 year. Online data collection. Results: We found that relationship quality predicted COVID-19 emotional representation, but this association was fully mediated by total dyadic coping. This association was especially significant in couples with a shorter length of time in the relationship. Conclusions: We point out the importance of dyadic coping as a protective factor against emotional distress to cope with the ongoing stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. These data suggest the need for relationship education programs that promote positive coping between partners. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10608-023-10379-4.

Longitudinal effects of pandemic stressors and dyadic coping on relationship satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: This study examined changes in relationship satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic and the moderating roles of financial strain, perceived threat of COVID-19, and dyadic coping. Background: The systemic-transactional model of dyadic coping posits that relationship satisfaction varies as a function of the stressors partners face and their engagement in dyadic coping. Method: About 188 partnered adults completed questionnaires at three time points during the initial confinement period of the COVID-19 pandemic and at a 20-month follow-up. Results: Relationship satisfaction increased during the first confinement period and returned to its baseline level at the 20-month follow-up. Greater financial strain and perceived threat of COVID-19 were associated with poorer relationship satisfaction over time. Dyadic coping buffered the negative impact of financial strain on relationship satisfaction during the initial confinement period, but not 20 months later. Conclusions: Most individuals were resilient to the effect of pandemic stressors on relationship satisfaction. The buffering effect of dyadic coping was observed during the initial confinement period when access to support resources outside the family unit was curtailed. Implications: Intervention efforts to promote dyadic coping and financial well-being for couples may be especially helpful in the context of strict confinement measures. © 2023 The Authors. Family Relations published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Council on Family Relations.

Coping with global uncertainty: Perceptions of COVID-19 psychological distress, relationship quality, and dyadic coping for romantic partners across 27 countries

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 39(1) of Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (see record 2022-18336-005). Three new authors (Adnan Adil, Emmanuel Asampong, and Rahmattullah Khan Abdul Wahab Khan) were not initially listed in the Epub ahead of print. Table 1 also contained some errors. The corrections are given in the erratum.] Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, individuals report psychological distress associated with the "new normal"-social distancing, financial hardships, and increased responsibilities while working from home. Given the interpersonal nature of stress and coping responses between romantic partners, based on the systemic transactional model this study posits that perceived partner dyadic coping may be an important moderator between experiences of COVID-19 psychological distress and relationship quality. To examine these associations, self-report data from 14,020 people across 27 countries were collected during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic (March-July, 2020). It was hypothesized that higher symptoms of psychological distress would be reported post-COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19 restrictions (Hypothesis 1), reports of post-COVID-19 psychological distress would be negatively associated with relationship quality (Hypothesis 2), and perceived partner DC would moderate these associations (Hypothesis 3). While hypotheses were generally supported, results also showed interesting between-country variability. Limitations and future directions are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Erratum to coping with global uncertainty: Perceptions of COVID-19 psychological distress, relationship quality, and dyadic coping for romantic partners across 27 countries

Reports an error in "Coping with global uncertainty: Perceptions of COVID-19 psychological distress, relationship quality, and dyadic coping for romantic partners across 27 countries" by Ashley K. Randall, Gabriel Leon, Emanuele Basili, Tamas Martos, Michael Boiger, Michela Baldi, Lauren Hocker, Kai Kline, Alessio Masturzi, Richmond Aryeetey, Eran Bar-Kalifa, Susan D. Boon, Luis Botella, Tom Burke, Katherine B. Carnelley, Alan Carr, Arobindu Dash, Mimi Fitriana, Stanley O. Gaines, Sarah Galdiolo, Claire M. Hart, Susanna Joo, Barani Kanth, Evangelos Karademas, Gery Karantzas, Selina A. Landolt, Louise McHugh, Anne Milek, Eddie Murphy, Jean C. Natividade, Alda Portugal, Alvaro Quinones, Ana Paula Relvas, Pingkan C. B. Rumondor, Petruta Rusu, Viola Sallay, Luis Angel Saul, David P. Schmitt, Laura Sels, Sultan Shujja, Laura K. Taylor, S. Burcu Ozguluk, Leslie Verhofstadt, Gyesook Yoo, Martina Zemp, Silvia Donato, Casey J. Totenhagen, Rahel L. van Eickels, Adnan Adil, Emmanuel Anongeba Anaba, Emmanuel Asampong, Sarah Beauchemin-Roy, Anna Berry, Audrey Brassard, Susan Chesterman, Lizzie Ferguson, Gabriela Fonseca, Justine Gaugue, Marie Geonet, Neele Hermesch, Rahmattullah Khan Abdul Wahab Khan, Laura Knox, Marie-France Lafontaine, Nicholas Lawless, Amanda Londero-Santos, Sofia Major, Tiago A. Marot, Ellie Mullins, Pauldy C. J. Otermans, Ariela F. Pagani, Miriam Parise, Roksana Parvin, Mallika De, Katherine Peloquin, Barbara Rebelo, Francesca Righetti, Daniel Romano, Sara Salavati, Steven Samrock, Mary Serea, Chua Bee Seok, Luciana Sotero, Owen Stafford, Christoforos Thomadakis, Cigdem Topcu-Uzer, Carla Ugarte, Wah Yun Low, Petra Simon-Zambori, Ching Sin Siau, Diana-Sinziana Duca, Cornelia Filip, Hayoung Park, Sinead Wearen, Guy Bodenmann and Claudia Chiarolanza (Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2022[Jan], Vol 39[1], 3-33). Three new authors (Adnan Adil, Emmanuel Asampong, and Rahmattullah Khan Abdul Wahab Khan) were not initially listed in the Epub ahead of print. Table 1 also contained some errors. The corrections are given in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2022-18336-001). Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, individuals report psychological distress associated with the "new normal"-social distancing, financial hardships, and increased responsibilities while working from home. Given the interpersonal nature of stress and coping responses between romantic partners, based on the systemic transactional model this study posits that perceived partner dyadic coping may be an important moderator between experiences of COVID-19 psychological distress and relationship quality. To examine these associations, self-report data from 14,020 people across 27 countries were collected during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic (March-July, 2020). It was hypothesized that higher symptoms of psychological distress would be reported post-COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19 restrictions (Hypothesis 1), reports of post-COVID-19 psychological distress would be negatively associated with relationship quality (Hypothesis 2), and perceived partner DC would moderate these associations (Hypothesis 3). While hypotheses were generally supported, results also showed interesting between-country variability. Limitations and future directions are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Couples' Functioning during Weekdays and Weekends at the Time of COVID-19

The present study was aimed at analyzing differences between weekdays and weekends in psychological well-being, relationship satisfaction, and dyadic coping, as well as their associations, before and during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. Individuals in a couple's relationship completed an online questionnaire before (N = 76) and during (N = 50) the COVID-19 lockdown. With regard to the first aim, participants in the COVID condition reported greater psychological well-being during weekends than during weekdays. In addition, participants showed greater relationship satisfaction during weekdays than during weekends, independently of the COVID-19 condition. As for the dyadic coping process, only in the Pre-COVID group, individuals communicated their stress more frequently during weekdays than during weekends. Finally, regardless of the COVID condition, they reported higher positive and common dyadic coping responses during weekends than during weekdays. As for the second aim, a positive effect of common dyadic coping responses on both psychological well-being and relationship satisfaction emerged during weekdays and weekends. Positive dyadic coping positively predicted relationship satisfaction during weekdays and weekends. Higher negative dyadic coping was associated with lower psychological well-being (in the Pre-COVID group only) and lower relationship satisfaction during weekends.

Couples' functioning during weekdays and weekends at the time of covid-19

Abstract The present study was aimed at analyzing differences between weekdays and weekends in psychological well-being, relationship satisfaction, and dyadic coping, as well as their associations, before and during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. Individuals in a couple's relationship completed an online questionnaire before (N = 76) and during (N = 50) the COVID-19 lockdown. With regard to the first aim, participants in the COVID condition reported greater psychological well-being during weekends than during weekdays. In addition, participants showed greater relationship satisfaction during weekdays than during weekends, independently of the COVID-19 condition. As for the dyadic coping process, only in the Pre-COVID group, individuals communicated their stress more frequently during weekdays than during weekends. Finally, regardless of the COVID condition, they reported higher positive and common dyadic coping responses during weekends than during weekdays. As for the second aim, a positive effect of common dyadic coping responses on both psychological well-being and relationship satisfaction emerged during weekdays and weekends. Positive dyadic coping positively predicted relationship satisfaction during weekdays and weekends. Higher negative dyadic coping was associated with lower psychological well-being (in the Pre-COVID group only) and lower relationship satisfaction during weekends. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19 Stress in Married Individuals in Terms of Dyadic Coping and Problem-Solving in Marriage

This study aims to examine the relationship between the levels of married individuals being affected by the new life form that has emerged due to COVID-19 and the variables of dyadic coping with stress and problem-solving in marriage. The study group consists of 487 married individuals (77% women, 23% men) living in Turkey. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used in data analysis. It is found that regression model was significant and 46% of the COVID-19 pandemic effect was explained by problem-solving in marriage and dyadic coping with stress. The effect of both predictor variables on the COVID-19 Impact Index was moderate. This finding reveals that the couple can show greater resilience in the face of challenging life events if the ability to jointly cope with stress and problem solving is acquired. Explaining the impact of stressful life events such as Covid 19 on dyadic or triadic relationships with internal variables such as personality provides less information about the nature of relationships. In a couple relationship, the way one of the partners copes with stress and solves problems can be a source of stress for the other. For this reason, there is a need for studies that reflect the social context in studies examining the couple relationship. © Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance. All rights reserved.

Workers' individual and dyadic coping with the COVID-19 health emergency: A cross cultural study

The aim of this study was to examine workers' psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic as a function of their individual coping, dyadic coping, and work-family conflict. We also tested the moderating role of gender and culture in these associations. To achieve this aim, we run HLM analyses on data from 1521 workers cohabiting with a partner, coming from six countries (Italy, Spain, Malta, Cyprus, Greece, and Russia) characterized by various degrees of country-level individualism/collectivism. Across all six countries, findings highlighted that work-family conflict as well as the individual coping strategy social support seeking were associated with higher psychological distress for workers, while the individual coping strategy positive attitude and common dyadic coping were found to be protective against workers' psychological distress. This latter association, moreover, was stronger in more individualistic countries.

Giving Birth in Unpredictable Conditions: Association between Parents' COVID-19 Related Concerns, Family Functioning, Dyadic Coping, Perceived Social Support and Depressive Symptoms.

BACKGROUND: The way postpartum parents' COVID-19-related concerns are associated with the family environment, support resources and depressive symptoms areunder-investigated. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-three new parents (132 mothers, 111 fathers) completed self-report questionnaires within an 8-week period after birth. Parental concerns for COVID-19-related life changes were assessed with the COVID-19 Questionnaire, perceived social support with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, perceived family functioning with the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales IV Package, dyadic coping behaviors with the Dyadic Coping Inventory and maternal/paternal postnatal depression with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. RESULTS: (a) Higher levels of COVID-19-related concerns about daily life were associated with lower levels of family communication, satisfaction and increased depressive symptomatology in both parents, and with lower levels of family functioning in mothers; (b) Maternal health care COVID-19-related concerns were linked with lower levels of family communication, lower perceived social support and with an increase in maternal depressive symptoms; and (c) COVID-19-related concerns about neonate hospitalization were associated with increased maternal depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Τhese findings suggest that COVID-19-related concerns had a common negative effect on both postpartum mothers' and fathers' mental health and on certain aspects of family functioning.

Tailoring dyadic coping strategies to attachment style: Emotion-focused and problem-focused dyadic coping differentially buffer anxiously and avoidantly attached partners

Attachment insecurity is associated with lower satisfaction and lower felt security in romantic relationships, especially during times of stress such as coping with a global pandemic. Heightened external stressors for couples are associated with poorer relationship quality, but how couples cope with stress together, or their dyadic coping strategies, is associated with the maintenance of relationship satisfaction. In the current study, we followed 184 couples living together during the COVID-19 pandemic to test whether specific coping strategies buffered people higher in attachment anxiety and avoidance from lower satisfaction and felt security in the early weeks and ensuing months of the pandemic. Our findings demonstrate that perceiving more emotion-focused dyadic coping—being affectionate and using intimacy—buffered the negative association between attachment anxiety and relationship satisfaction and felt security, both concurrently and over several months of the pandemic. In addition, problem-focused perceived dyadic coping backfired for people higher in attachment anxiety;they felt less satisfied when they perceived more problem-focused coping—which involves being solution-focused and using instrumental support—in their relationship. In contrast, people higher in attachment avoidance were buffered against lower relationship satisfaction when they perceived more problem-focused dyadic coping and were not buffered by emotion-focused coping. The current findings suggest the importance of tailoring coping strategies to a partner’s attachment style for relationship quality and felt security during times of stress. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Social & Personal Relationships is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Couple Satisfaction During 1 Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Dyadic Coping as a Protective Factor

In March 2020, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has been declared a "pandemic" by the World Health Organization. To reduce the risk of contamination, many countries have ordered a strict lockdown characterized by social distancing and restrictive isolation measures. This pandemic has profoundly affected couples' daily lives. The objective of our three-wave longitudinal study (N = 229) was to examine the trajectory of couple satisfaction during 1 year of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, with dyadic coping as a predictor of the intraindividual change. Our results showed that couple satisfaction remained stable over time. Dyadic coping was also found to be a predictor of intraindividual changes in partners' Relationship Dissatisfaction and Difficulties in Problem-solving Communication during the pandemic: Relationship Dissatisfaction increased over time when dyadic coping was weak, while Difficulties in Problem-solving Communication decreased over time when dyadic coping was high. The discussion underlined the importance of focusing couple interventions on dyadic coping during stressful situations, like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental Health in Affectionate, Antagonistic, and Ambivalent Relationships During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Latent Profile Analysis.

The ongoing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents an acute stressor affecting mental health. In these stressful times, intimate relationships functioning could serve as a protective or a risk factor to the well-being of partners. Adult Croatian citizens engaged in intimate relationships (N = 727) reported their relationship characteristics and assessed symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress during the state lockdown in May 2020. Three relationship profiles based on variations in key relationship characteristics were identified using latent profile analysis. Profiles represented distinct relationship types described as affectionate, ambivalent, and antagonistic relationships. These relationship types differed in their levels of love and perception of humility, responsiveness, and behavior of the partner. Relationship type was associated with mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and state lockdown. Being in an affectionate relationship was associated with the lowest levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, while in an antagonistic relationship these are in the highest levels. Ambivalent relationships were characterized by moderate levels on all measured mental health indicators with no difference in anxiety compared with affectionate relationships. The results emphasized the link between relationship functioning and successful coping with mental health hazards such as the fear of disease or restrictive measures put in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Understanding relational resilience of married adults in quarantine days.

Quarantine and isolation caused by COVID-19 pandemic revealed a new stress condition in marriage relationship. This study aimed to investigate, under quarantine and isolation days, how relational resilience in marriage is explained with their psychological distress, and mediation roles of negative and positive dyadic coping in the marriage relationship between psychological distress and relational resilience. Data of the research study was obtained via an online form two months after the announcement of the pandemic in Turkey. The participants were 386 married people (49.7% were men, 50.3% women) who ranged in age from 23 to 65 years (M = 37.35, SD = 10.10). Participants were given Personal Information Form, The Relational Resilience Scale, The Dyadic Coping Inventory, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale. Results showed that negative and positive coping have mediating influence on psychological stress of married individuals and their relational resilience during quarantine. It is seen that especially in quarantine days, positive coping strategies of married individuals, in coping with these conditions, is an important factor increasing relational resilience.

Together Against COVID-19 Concerns: The Role of the Dyadic Coping Process for Partners' Psychological Well-Being During the Pandemic.

The situation caused by the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been representing a great source of concern and a challenge to the psychological well-being of many individuals around the world. For couples in particular, this extraordinary rise in concern, combined with the stress posed by the virus containment measures, such as prolonged cohabitation and lack of support networks, may have increased the likelihood of couple problems. At the same time, however, COVID-19 concerns may have been a stimulus to activate couples' stress management processes. A couple's resource, which may have an important role in dealing with COVID-19 concerns and stress, is dyadic coping, i.e., the process through which partners face stress together. Drawing on a sample of 1,823 Italian individuals involved in a couple relationship, the current study tested a serial mediation model in which concerns about COVID-19 predicted psychological well-being, through both explicit stress communication and perceived partner dyadic coping responses. In addition, the study explored whether this dyadic coping process functioned the same way in satisfied and dissatisfied couples. Results showed that concerns about the situation related to COVID-19 significantly threatened individuals' psychological well-being. However, these concerns positively predicted explicit stress communication, which in turn positively predicted perceived partner's dyadic coping responses, which finally positively predicted psychological well-being. In addition, in the group of dissatisfied individuals, the association between explicit stress communication and perceived partners' dyadic coping responses was not significant. The present study adds to the research on couples' coping by testing for the first time the whole theoretical model of dyadic coping and does so during a global emergency situation. The study also suggests key components of preventive interventions for individuals in couples.