Jemima Petch, a clinical psychologist and the head of practice at Relationships Australia Queensland (RAQ), observed the impact of the Covid pandemic on Australia’s romantic relationships. With the absence of external activities, stress within relationships built up and eventually caused them to deteriorate. The lack of workplace relationships, hobbies, and friends to turn to heightened the pressure on couples, leading to a surge in relationship issues. Even after the end of lockdowns, many couples continue to struggle, resulting in an increasing divorce rate and high demand for relationship counseling services. Some experts are concerned that the pandemic has had a lasting negative impact on Australia’s love life.
Relationship centers such as RAQ have experienced a constant stream of calls. Unlike before, when calls would spike around certain times like Christmas, call takers now report being busy all the time. The complexity of the calls has also increased, with the average call duration growing from 45 minutes before the pandemic to about an hour now. The CEO of RAQ, Natasha Rae, explains that clients are presenting with higher levels of distress and complexity, putting them at higher risk than ever before. This trend is also seen in Victoria, where repeated lockdowns have caused turmoil within families and relationships.
Mental health issues have been the main factor contributing to strain in relationships, according to a survey conducted by RAQ. Loneliness has also been a significant issue, which can have negative effects on mental health, even within relationships. The pandemic has disrupted habitual social connections, leading to increased feelings of loneliness among couples. It is unclear whether the impact on relationships caused by the pandemic is temporary or permanent.
Gery Karantzas, a senior lecturer at Deakin University, conducted research on relationships during the pandemic. He found that the severity of the pandemic stage did not predict breakups. Instead, the number and severity of stressors on the relationship and the couple’s ability to cope with them played a significant role. Karantzas suggests that the increased requests for relationship help may be a result of pandemic messaging encouraging troubled couples to seek assistance.
For couples struggling to reconnect post-pandemic, rebuilding broken communication channels is crucial. Prof Brock Bastian from the University of Melbourne highlights the importance of open and effective communication. Couples who successfully navigated the challenges of stay-at-home orders should take confidence from their experience, knowing that they can handle difficult periods in life.