Relationship Quality Change Among Partnered Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed social life, but we know less about whether partnered relationships changed during this time. Because high-quality intimate relationships are key to many older Americans' wellbeing, we explore whether, how, and for whom the pandemic changed relationship quality among partnered older Americans. METHOD: Nationally representative data from 1,642 partnered adults aged 50 and up come from the 2020 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project COVID-19 Study. Multinomial logistic regression analyses estimate the likelihood of reporting improved, unchanged, or worsened relationship quality since the pandemic began across sociodemographic groups. RESULTS: Two-thirds of respondents reported that relationship quality stayed the same during the pandemic, 22.8% reported their relationship quality got better, and 10.5% reported their relationship quality got worse. Although women and the oldest old were less likely to report improved relationship quality, Black respondents were more likely to do so, even after controlling for explanatory variables. DISCUSSION: Resilience describes many partnered older adults' experiences during the first year of the pandemic, suggesting that they were able to protect their partnerships during this public health crisis.

Improvement of stress adaptation and insulin resistance in women with GDM by WeChat group management during novel coronavirus pneumonia.

Aim: To evaluate the improvement of glycemic control and stress adaptation in patients with GDM by mobile phone WeChat management during novel coronavirus pneumonia. Methods: In this study, 75 women with GDM were included, of whom 35 were included in mobile WeChat group management as the GDM-M group and 40 as the GDM group. Results: After mobile WeChat group management for 4 weeks, E and NE were lower. MDA was lower, and SOD was higher. HOMA-IR was lower. E, NE, and cortisol were related to HOMA-IR positively, MDA was positively related to HOMA-IR, and SOD was negatively related to HOMA-IR. E and cortisol were positively related to MDA but negatively related to SOD. Conclusion: The stress adaptation disorder and insulin resistance in patients with GDM who have completed mobile WeChat group management can be improved during novel coronavirus pneumonia. Mobile WeChat management played a positive role in improving the insulin resistance of women with GDM under special circumstances, which may reduce the risk of maternal and fetal complications.

Family Relationships Under Work From Home: Exploring the Role of Adaptive Processes.

Work-from-home (WFH) influences both work and life, and further impacts family relationships. The current study explored the impacts of WFH on family relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified effective adaptive processes for maintaining family relationships under WFH. Using the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation (VSA) model, the study examined the roles of adaptive processes (spending time with family members and balancing work and life) and demographic differences (gender, age, marital status, and education level) in the relation between WFH and family relationships. Path analysis results based on an online survey (N = 150) suggested that, overall, WFH improved family relationships through proper adaptive processes. WFH had a positive relation to time spent with family members, and this relation was especially salient for workers with lower education levels. While there was no statistically significant overall relation between WFH and work-life balance, older workers tended to engage in increased work-life balance during WFH. Both adaptive processes were positively related to family relationship quality. The findings advance the understanding of family relationships and WFH and provide practical recommendations to enhance family relationships under WFH.

Dealing with loss in the face of disasters and crises: Integrating interpersonal theories of couple adaptation and functioning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the significant and varied losses that couples can experience during times of global and regional disasters and crises. What factors determine how couples navigate their close relationships during times of loss? In this paper, we elaborate and extend on one of the most influential frameworks in relationship science-the Vulnerability Stress Adaptation Model (VSAM, Karney and Bradbury, 1995)-to enhance the model's power to explain relationships during loss-themed disasters/crises. We do so by elaborating on attachment theory and integrating interdependence theory (emphasizing partner similarities and differences). Our elaboration and extension to the VSAM provides a comprehensive framework to guide future research and inform practice and policy in supporting relationships during and beyond loss-themed disasters/crises.