PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON LOVE, SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE

Abstract

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on physical and mental health of people and their daily functioning in all areas of life. The aim of the current study was to examine the perceived effects of pandemic on love, social and professional life. In March 2021, an anonymous survey was conducted online among Bulgarian adults including 450 participants. Especially for this study three scales were developed reflecting deterioration of love and social relations and the quality of work life. Their relationships with fear of COVID-19 and perceived stress were investigated as well as the role of some demographic factors. Results indicated that social relations are deteriorating the most, followed by love relations and quality of professional life. Fear of COVID-19 was most strongly associated with negative experiences in social life (r=0.28 p=0.000). Perceived stress was associated moderately and positively with decline of the three life areas (r=0.30, p=0.000). Gender differences were not found in the level of stress and fear, but these variables correlated in a different way with social, love and professional areas in the groups of men and women. Men reported for more negative effects of pandemic on their love relations than women (t=2.14, p=0.03). Love relations also became more problematic for people who are single compared to those who are married or have partners and as well as for respondents who do not have children. Age, education, tenure and place of living did not relate to decline of quality of love, social and professional life.