Impacts of social distancing on marital life during Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of social distancing on different areas of marital life during the Covid-19 pandemic. 1121 Brazilians, who were living with romantic partners, answered an online survey about their social distancing practices during the pandemic and aspects of their relationship. Most participants did not report impairment in marital behavior and 68% did not report experiencing willingness to divorce during pandemic. However, binary logistic regressions showed that the Odds Ratio of reporting willingness to divorce was lower for individuals with longer cohabitation (OR = 0.998), while higher when there was a decrease in positive marital behaviors (OR = 1.8 - 3.13), and also reported an increase in the conflicts, arguments and fights (OR = 6.12 - 6.43). Indicators of higher confinement at home during the pandemic were associated with higher chances of reporting willingness to divorce.