Relationship Status and Well-Being in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this study was to examine well-being, loneliness, and hope among single and partnered adults in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 560 adults in the U.S. (50.2% female, 48.9% male, 28.7% single, 71.3% partnered) completed an online survey regarding their experiences amid the global health crisis. Results indicated that single and partnered individuals reported similar experiences of loneliness, hope, and well-being. Furthermore, hope served as a significant positive predictor of psychological well-being for both single and partnered individuals. Single and partnered individuals also engaged in a similar number of social interactions during the pandemic. The nature of these interactions (i.e., in-person vs. digital), however, uniquely predicted well-being across relationship status. Among single individuals, connecting with others in person significantly predicted well-being, whereas digital connections did not. The inverse was found for partnered individuals, where digital connections predicted well-being, but in-person interactions did not.