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The dotted line in panel A denotes the average difference (i.e., fixed intercept) in preand post-COVID-19 (psychological) distress (b 0 ¼ 2.33). Dotted lines in panels B, C, and D represent the estimated fixed effect of each variable on relationship quality. Country-specific coefficients (i.e., conditional modes) are centered around the fixed effect with 95% confidence intervals.
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Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, individuals report psychological distress associated with the “new normal”—social distancing, financial hardships, and increased responsibilities while working from home. Given the interpersonal nature of stress and coping responses between romantic partners, based on the systemic transaction...
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Context 1
... premise of this procedure is that, if the variance of between-country effects is high, the country-specific least-squares fit line will be weighted more heavily; conversely, if the variability in within-country effects is high, the fixed effect from the model will be weighted more heavily. In sum, this procedure allowed us to derive country-specific coefficients with 95% confidence intervals to graphically depict differences in coefficients across countries (Figure 1, Figure 2, Panels A and C). Because random effects are assumed to be normally distributed with a mean of zero, the conditional modes were centered around the fixed effect estimate to ease interpretation and to allow readers to distinguish between the fixed effect (dotted line) and zero (solid line). ...
Context 2
... to the procedure outlined for H1, country-specific slope coefficients were derived with 95% confidence intervals for postDASS j À postDASS ij , gender, and stress communication (stress com.). These coefficients are represented in Figure 1, Panels B, C, and D, respectively. ...
Context 3
... there appeared to be nontrivial between-country variation in the extent to which distress was perceived as higher after country-specific COVID-19 restrictions were in place (m 0 ¼ 2.81). To parse this variation, country-specific intercept coefficients were graphically represented in Figure 1, Panel A and centered around the average difference in pre-and post-COVID-19 psychological distress (b 0 ¼ 2.33; depicted by a dotted vertical line). ...
Context 4
... visual inspection of Figure 1, Panel A suggests that participants in 19 of 27 countries reported higher post-COVID-19 psychological distress (i.e., 95% CI were above zero, depicted by a solid vertical line). On average, participants in 11 of 27 countries (e.g., Canada, India, Malaysia, and the USA) reported differences in preand post-COVID-19 psychological distress that were above-average when compared to other countries (i.e., 95% CIs were above the dotted line). ...
Context 5
... À0.12]). All fixed effects and random effects are reported in Table 3, and country-specific slope coefficients for post-COVID-19 psychological distress, gender, and stress communication are depicted Figure 1, Panels B, C, and D, respectively. Note. ...
Context 6
... countries appeared to differ significantly in the association between post-COVID-19 psychological distress and relationship quality. As shown in Figure 1, Panel B, the negative association between post-COVID-19 psychological distress and relationship quality held in 18 out of 24 countries (i.e., 95% CIs were above zero). This association was negligible in Bangladesh, Israel, Pakistan, South Korea, Turkey, and the USA (i.e., 95% CIs includes zero), and was most pronounced in Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, and Italy (i.e., 95% CIs were below dotted line-the average effect across countries). ...
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Singles—here understood as unmarried or never married individuals—are a growing subset of the Japanese population that has not received discrete attention in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article addresses the ways in which the pandemic and its associated interventions—calls for social distancing, self-restraint, or the avoidance of th...
Citations
... The personal, social, and societal costs of the pandemic were severe and still continue. Overall, global research has demonstrated a significant increase across 19 of 27 countries in self-reported psychological distress from prepandemic to post-pandemic restrictions (Randall et al., 2022). Such psychological stresses can have their own tangible effects. ...
... Research generally shows that coping strategies and tactics normatively considered more functional mediate or predict anxiety, stress, depression, loneliness, relationship quality, happiness, life function and other deleterious forms of psychological distress (e.g., Cohen-Louck & Levy, 2022;Randall et al., 2022;Savitsky et al., 2020;Yıldırım et al., 2022). However, the particular strategies that are most functional depend significantly on their goodness of fit (Folkman & Lazarus, 1980;Wolfers & Schneider, 2021) for the person and the particular stressors encountered (Ahuja, 2022;Kalaitzaki et al., 2022;Lazarus, 1993;Lischetzke et al., 2022;Simione et al., 2022). ...
... However, the particular strategies that are most functional depend significantly on their goodness of fit (Folkman & Lazarus, 1980;Wolfers & Schneider, 2021) for the person and the particular stressors encountered (Ahuja, 2022;Kalaitzaki et al., 2022;Lazarus, 1993;Lischetzke et al., 2022;Simione et al., 2022). In general, coping strategies have demonstrated moderation, mediation or direct relationships with well-being and distress during the COVID-19 pandemic context, although the size and direction of these relationships tend to vary considerably across studies (e.g., Agha, 2021;Cohen-Louck & Levy, 2022;Kalaitzaki et al., 2022;Orsolini et al., 2022;Park et al., 2022;Randall et al., 2022;Savitsky et al., 2020;Yıldırım et al., 2022;Zsido et al., 2022). There may even be potential for traumatic growth in such contexts. ...
... Research findings on coparenting relations support the interrelatedness of the construct with parental mental health and the emotional states of the parents (Burke et al., 2023;Tadros et al., 2021). Parental mental health is also linked with child internalizing and externalizing problems, marital relations, and parenting quality (Feinberg et al., 2022;Genc et al., 2021;Martin et al., 2022;Randall et al., 2022). Another important variable that is linked with a coparenting relationship is marital satisfaction (Christopher et al., 2015). ...
The current research explored the dyadic relationships between general psychological distress (GPD) and coparenting dimensions (cooperation, conflict, triangulation) through the mediation of couple satisfaction among parents with young children. The sample comprised 184 heterosexual couples (184 mothers, 184 fathers, age range from 25 to 57 years) married for 10 years on average. The actor–partner interdependence model (APIM) and APIM Mediation Model analyses demonstrated significant relationships between mothers' and fathers' GPD and all three of their own coparenting dimensions (direct actor effects), also through their own couple satisfaction (indirect actor–actor effects). Additionally, mothers' GPD had direct effects on fathers' coparenting cooperation (partner effect). Fathers' GPD had significant indirect effects on all dimensions of mothers' coparenting through mothers' couple satisfaction (partner–actor effects), plus on mothers' coparenting triangulation through fathers' couple satisfaction (actor–partner effect). Findings were in line with Family System Theory and consistent with prior research. Clinical implications were discussed.
... Considering the results of previous studies on Romanian couples indicating the negative effects of stress and the importance of dyadic coping for relationship satisfaction and partners 'well-being [21][22][23][24][25] developing the CCET mobile application is an important part of intervention for Romanian couples facing stress. ...
... The first hypothesis (H1) stated that the perceived threat of illness would increase and that DC and relationship quality would decrease throughout the first year of COVID-19 impact. For these reasons, we also think that symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress will increase while well-being will decrease (Lacomba-Trejo et al., 2022;Pérez-Fuentes et al., 2020;Pietromonaco & Collins, 2017;Pietromonaco & Overall, 2021;Randall et al., 2022;Shahnawaz et al., 2022;Tepeli Temiz & Elsharnouby, 2022;Vindegaard & Benros, 2020). ...
... This may have happened because, despite the stress experienced at home due to the pandemics, people have adapted positively to the adversity. A crosssectional study conducted by Randall et al. (2022) to analyze COVID-19 psychological distress across 27 countries also found that Portuguese participants did not report higher post-COVID-19 psychological distress during the early phases of the pandemic (March-July 2020). Only five out of 27 countries showed a result comparable to the Portuguese one. ...
This longitudinal study explored the impact of COVID-19 on individuals in romantic relationships. The sample spans three waves: first confinement (n = 52), deconfinement (n = 49), and second confinement (n = 26). The study tested sociodemographic factors, psychological adjustment (anxiety, depression, stress, well-being), COVID-19 threat perception, dyadic coping, and relationship quality. Results from repeated measures ANOVA and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) models revealed a decline in anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, coupled with improved relationship quality over time. Well-being and dyadic coping remained stable, while COVID-19 threat perception increased. QCA models emphasized the predictive power of initial mental states (anxiety, depression, stress, and well-being at W1) on subsequent adjustment. Notably, shorter relationship duration, healthcare worker status, and not having J Marital Fam Ther. 2024;1-21. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jmft | 1
... The Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) and Shapley Additive explanations (SHAP) are the two most frequently used explainable AI frameworks in the literature [16,17]. Explainability models have applications in credit risk prediction models [16,18,19] medicine [20] & [21], and NTL prediction models [14]. Explainable models provide actionable insights that guide decision-making and operational adjustments by enabling users to understand how the model uses input features in its predictions. ...
... Additionally, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support may not fully capture the social and interpersonal dynamics between the respondent and the relationships in question (e.g., family, friends, and significant others). Past research has described many familial and social relationships shifted during the lockdown, and greater strain in social relationships, both familial and nonfamilial, predicted worse mental health outcomes during the pandemic (Essler et al., 2021;Randall et al. 2022;Skinner et al., 2021). ...
Growing evidence has highlighted the global mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, particularly in societies with pre-existing socioeconomic adversities and public health concerns. Despite the sudden and prolonged nature of many psychosocial stressors during the pandemic, recent studies have shown that communities utilized several coping mechanisms to buffer the mental health consequences of COVID-related stress. This paper examines the extent to which coping resources and social support buffered against the mental health effects of COVID-19 psychosocial stress among adults in South Africa. Adult participants (n = 117) completed an online survey during the second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa (January–July 2021), which assessed experiences of stress, coping resources, social support, and four mental health outcomes: depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder. Moderation analyses examined the potential buffering role of coping resources and social support against the mental health effects of COVID-19 stress. Adults reported elevated rates of psychiatric symptoms. Coping resources buffered against the poor mental health effects of COVID-19 psychosocial stress, whereas perceived social support did not significantly moderate the association between COVID-19 stress and adult mental health. These results suggest that adults in our sample utilized a variety of coping resources to protect their mental health against psychosocial stress experienced during the COVID-19 lockdown and pandemic in South Africa. Additionally, existing mental health conditions and strained social relationships may have attenuated the potential stress-buffering effect of perceived social support on adult mental health.
... Outside the pandemic context, some work suggests that individuals who hold values consistent with collectivism evidence greater marital satisfaction (Dobrowolska et al., 2020). However within the pandemic context, only one study (Randall et al., 2022) examined relationship functioning across different countries. Randall et al. found greater pandemic distress was associated with lower relationship quality in some countries (e.g., Germany, Indonesia, Italy) but not in others (e.g., Bangladesh, Israel, US). ...
We examined whether the impact of the pandemic on couple relationships varied across cultural contexts. Following from studies showing better outcomes (lower disease risk, greater well-being) within cultures higher in tightness (having strong norms promoting conformity) or collectivism (vs. individualism), we predicted that tighter and more collectivistic contexts would be associated with better relationship functioning. Preregistered analyses using existing data collected during the pandemic ( N = 2510; 12 countries), indicated, counter to predictions, that individuals from countries higher in tightness or collectivism evidenced greater relationship conflict. Cultural context was unrelated to relationship quality. Stress, attachment insecurity, and perceived partner responsiveness predicted relationship quality during the pandemic, but cultural context generally did not moderate these links. Perceived partner responsiveness, however, predicted relationship quality more strongly within more collectivistic (vs. more individualistic) countries. We discuss possible explanations for these findings, limitations of the data, and the need for larger studies including a broader range of countries, individuals, and cultural contexts.
... Exceptional circumstances such as the declaration of an epidemic affect all aspects of people's lives, including partnerships (1,2). The new coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was first discovered in Wuhan, China, spread rapidly around the world (3). ...
... Randall et al. (2) conducted a study in 27 countries and concluded that personal stress levels had increased during the epidemic. Stress caused by the state (restrictions imposed by the virus) did not affect the quality of the relationship as much as personal stress; people who reported high levels of personal stress found their relationships with their partners unsatisfactory in particular. ...
Introduction: The COVID-19 epidemic and its restrictions have affected all aspects of people’s lives, including health-related quality of life and, considering sexuality as an integral part of individual needs, also intimacy and sexuality. Therefore, the aim of this article was to investigate women’s sexual functioning and health-related quality of life assessment in Slovenian women in the reproductive period. Methods: An online survey with valid questionnaires (short form 36 [SF-36] and Female sexual function index [FSFI-19]) was conducted in January 2022. All research ethical measures were taken to ensure the integrity of the participants. Results: The FSFI scale score was 25.37 ± 8.29, 1.18 points above the cutoff point, indicating a higher risk of sexual dysfunction (26.55). The estimated prevalence of sexual dysfunction was 36.8%, with sexual desire being the most problematic area. The mean score on the SF-36 scale in our sample reached 73.52 ± 13.84 on a 100-point scale, with 0 representing the worst and 100 the best quality of life; fatigue (x̅ = 48.50) was the most problematic category. The results partly reflect the results of foreign studies, but we must be aware of cultural differences in the understanding of sexuality and keep in mind that some countries faced difficult circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic and that social constraints were different in 2020 than in 2022. Conclusion: The epidemic affected the sexual function of women of reproductive age and their perception of (health-related) quality of life.
... Accordingly, one chief limitation of STEP is that it does not address couple functioning. However, the intervention taps into a number of dimensions that were previously shown to be associated with the quality of the relationship with the partner, including reflective capacities (Borelli et al., 2021;Jessee et al., 2018), emotion regulation (Rassart et al., 2022;Sousa-Gomes et al., 2023), history of childhood trauma Brassard et al., 2022), and COVID-related distress (Carrese-Chacra et al., 2023;Randall et al., 2022). The question thus arises as to whether a brief intervention, drawing from the principles of mentalization-based interventions offered to pregnant women in the absence of their partners, could promote the quality of couple relationships. ...
The birth of a child has been associated with a decline in couple satisfaction, which has implications for the child's social‐emotional development. This study investigated the potential spillover effect on pregnant women's perceptions of their relationships with their partners of the Supporting the Transition to and Engagement in Parenthood (STEP) program, a brief trauma‐informed mentalization‐based prenatal group intervention. Participants (94% White) were recruited in prenatal clinics and through online advertisements in Quebec, Canada. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from participants assigned to the STEP program ( n = 42) and those receiving treatment‐as‐usual (TAU; n = 125). Women participating in STEP reported significant improvements in their relationships with their partners compared to those assigned to TAU. More precisely, they reported higher couple satisfaction, enhanced communication, and increased interest in their partners’ emotional experience. The qualitative analysis further substantiated these results, with participants reporting having involved their partners in their pregnancy, shared their insights about themselves with their partners and gained fresh perspectives on their relationships. Participants in STEP also expressed sharing program materials with their partners and considered that such interventions should be extended to expecting fathers. This study underscores the potential of mentalization‐based interventions to indirectly contribute to couple relationships, which may have positive implications for parenting and the infant.
... COVID-19 has posed a serious threat to individuals around the globe. The precautions such as using masks, social isolation, quarantine, and curfews hold a protective and preventive role for the spread of the coronavirus (Randall et al., 2022) however adding lots of uncertainties and psychological symptoms over the shoulders of the people, as well increasing their feelings of threat. Besides physical and psychological health concerns, most people had to face economic issues due to losing their jobs. ...
... Originally, participants are asked to rate their experiences over the past week. In the present study, taking March 13, 2020, as the reference date when the flight restrictions due to the COVID-19 had started in Turkey, participants were asked to respond to the DASS-21 considering their emotional states before and after this date following the suggestions of Randall et al. (2022). Items were averaged with higher scores reflecting increased depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. ...
... Since COVID-19 was an unprecedented worldwide crisis rapidly spread out in the whole world, its transmission has severely affected the physical and mental wellbeing of communities globally (Lubrano et al., 2020). COVID-19 brought several uncertainties such as how it is going to be treated, how long it lasts, whether it is possible to overcome it, whether the vaccinations will prevent it, people were not able to name and give meaning to it with all these uncertainties (Randall et al., 2022). Considering that the data of the current study were collected during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the people were at their home and the only way they could get socialized and to learn about the course of the coronavirus was via social media (Pellert et al., 2020) where fake information about the further precautions and the nature of coronavirus was to be shared in addition to the current death rates due to coronavirus. ...
Most people had a perception of COVID-19 as an illness throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and this inevitably resulted in developing psychological symptoms which in the end yielded to lower levels of well-being. These experiences affected the people who were in a relationship during the pandemic, hence the quality of their relationship was influenced by all these individual feelings. Regarding this context, the current study aimed to explore the mediation role of perceived symptom change in the association between well-being and COVID-19 perceptions, controlling for the effect of relationship quality. To achieve this goal, 174 (N = 124 women, N = 49 men) participants were recruited. Results of the study put forth that (1) there was a positive association between COVID-19 illness perception and symptom change, (2) there was a negative association between perceived symptom change and well-being, (3) there was a negative association between COVID-19 illness perception and well-being, (4) relationship quality was positively associated with well-being, and (5) the symptom change mediated the association between COVID-19 illness perception and well-being in the case relationship quality was considered as a covariate. Limitations and recommendations for further research are presented.
