Conclusion to the special issue: Relationships in the time of COVID-19: Examining the effects of the global pandemic on personal relationships

Abstract

This article serves as the conclusion of the special issue entitled “Relationships in the time of COVID-19: Examining the effects of the global pandemic on personal relationships.” The special issue includes 29 research articles with authors and samples from 28 countries spanning all continents except Antarctica. Romantic relationships between two heterosexual partners were studied most often in the special issue articles, but studies also focused on family relationships, friendships, and relationships between strangers. This article provides a summary of the special issue and its three broad themes: (1) stress, turbulence, conflict, and coping; (2) loneliness, isolation, and mediated communication; and (3) reflecting and reframing in relationships. The article concludes with the special issue editors’ reflections on relationship science and the pandemic.