Don’t Break My Heart: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study Examining Autonomy Support During Romantic Relationship Dissolution

Breakups are often accompanied by significant emotional distress. Using autonomy-supportive techniques has been shown to reduce defensiveness and foster better understanding during difficult interactions. It is unknown if using these same techniques are associated with better emotional and psychological outcomes for those who end their relationship. The current study employed a retrospective, cross-sectional design to examine whether greater autonomy support during romantic relationship dissolution is associated with better psychological well-being (e.g., subjective vitality and positive mood) and lower psychological distress (e.g., negative mood, anxiety, and depression) post-breakup, whether the modality and initiation of the breakup contribute to psychological well-being post-breakup, and whether the effects of time (since the breakup) impact psychological well-being. In a sample of four hundred and thirty-eight individuals, predominantly young, cisgender, heterosexual undergraduates, who recently experienced a breakup, results indicated that i) autonomy support during the breakup was linked to more positive mood and higher subjective vitality, ii) ongoing contact with an ex-partner was associated with increased anxiety and depression, and iii) men reported higher positive mood and lower negative mood and anxiety compared to women. These results highlight important considerations regarding the impacts of breakup experiences, specifically in providing autonomy support when initiating a breakup.