Both overwhelmed or in it together? Similarity in COVID‐19‐related stress and romantic relationship quality

Abstract

AbstractStress tends to be negatively associated with romantic relationship quality, but shared stress can bond romantic partners and may actually have a positive effect on relationships. Thus, are similar levels of pandemic‐related stress during the COVID‐19 pandemic—a time of high stress for many couples—associated with better or worse relationship quality? In this study, we investigated whether similarity in COVID‐19‐related stress was associated with romantic relationship outcomes in two dyadic samples (N = 300 couples). Generally, we found little evidence that similarity in COVID‐19‐related stress was associated with relationship outcomes. We did find that similarity in general worry about the pandemic was associated with lower overall relationship quality; however, it was also associated with lower levels of viewing the pandemic as a source of conflict. Therefore, more research is needed to understand the nuances of when and how stress similarity is associated with romantic relationship quality.