4421 - AFTER THE OUTBREAK OF COVID-19: ACKNOWLEDGING THE COMPLEXITY OF DYADS IN MANAGING STRESS

Session: 4420 - APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY IN THE DOMAIN OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS: ENHANCING THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF SINGLE AND COUPLED INDIVIDUALS
AUTHORS:
Chiarolanza Claudia (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome ~ Rome ~ Italy) , Cavalli Roberta Gabriella (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome ~ Rome ~ Italy) , Velotti Patrizia (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome ~ Rome ~ Italy) , Barile Marianna (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome ~ Rome ~ Italy)
Abstract text:
COVID-19 has left significant sequelae in many people from the physical and psychological point of view, reporting growth rates for affective, anxiety, and depression diseases. Stress associated with the outbreak of COVID-19 made mental health a significant topic for public health. Analysis of recent literature reported that family life crossed many difficulties, such as facing the illness and the death of family members, especially older ones, the risky blending in sharing family and job time in one unique space, and the constant interplay between closeness and emotional distance. Therefore, we designed the present study - Analysing marital and family STrEss in post-Pandemic Scenario (STEPS) for the evaluation of stress, its impact on personal and relational well-being, the role of individual and dyadic factors in facing marital, parenting, and work balance life. We assessed the fluctuations of work and home stress for one month in 108 heterosexual romantic couples using an intensive longitudinal approach. Preliminary results highlighted that COVID-19 represented a global stressor for the quality of romantic relationships, only if we considered the partner effect in the APIMeM model. Besides, we found that negative dyadic coping strategies amplified the negative impact on the perceived quality of the relationship. Finally, the lack of dyadic awareness, which is a relevant factor in the dyadic dysregulation in couple relationships appears related to the conflict between family and work. Results will be discussed in terms of targeted interventions finalized to reduce the relational stress.