Changes in marital relationships over the course of the <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this study was to document changes in marital relationships over the course of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background Research has suggested both positive and negative effects of the pandemic on marital relationships, but few studies have explored changes in relationship quality at different phases of the pandemic. Method Online survey data were collected from married individuals ( n = 3,221, mean age 39.5 years, SD = 5.61) living in the United States at three time points during the pandemic: April 2020, December 2020–January 2021, and August–September, 2021. We report the findings on responses to an open‐ended question: “Please explain how your relationship has changed over the course of the coronavirus.” Inductive qualitative content analysis was conducted. Results Most participants reported some changes in their relationships; positive changes were more prevalent than negative changes across the three time periods. Discussion Our findings are consistent with previous literature but also provide new insights into how marriages may have been differentially affected at early versus later stages of the pandemic. Implications Clinical implications of the findings are discussed, including specific recommendations for therapists working with couples.