Table_2_Romantic Relationships and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austria: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Survey.PDF

BackgroundPrevious studies suggest that romantic relationships can be beneficial to mental health, but may also be a major stressor depending on specific relationship characteristics. Studies examining the role of romantic relationship in mental health are scarce. This study aimed to investigate differences in mental health with regards to relationship characteristics.
MethodsWe assessed individuals’ mental health, i.e., suicidal ideation (via Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, BSS), depression (via Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9), anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS), experience of psychological and physical violence, including changes in suicidal ideation and anxiety compared to before the pandemic, and relationship characteristics (i.e., relationship status, satisfaction, and commitment as well as family structure) with online questionnaires in a population-based cross-sectional study with 3,012 respondents in Austria during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ResultsThere were small to medium–sized group differences with regards to relationship status and satisfaction (ηp2: 0.011–0.056). Most mental health outcomes were less favorable in singles than in individuals in happy relationships, but scores for anxiety (p < 0.001), psychological (p < 0.001) and physical violence (p < 0.001), and the probability of experiencing an increase in anxiety compared to before the pandemic (p < 0.01) were lower in singles as compared to those with low relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, scores for suicidal ideation (p > 0.001) and psychological (p > 0.01) and physical violence (p > 0.01) were highest in individuals in relationships with low commitment and with a child living in the same household, but effect sizes were small (ηp2: 0.004–0.015).
ConclusionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to singles, mental health appeared worse in individuals with low relationship satisfaction and those in a relationship with low commitment and with a child in the household. Living in a happy relationship was associated with somewhat better mental health.

【背景】既往研究表明，浪漫亲密关系（romantic relationship）既可能对心理健康有益，也可能成为主要应激源，具体取决于亲密关系的特定特征。目前针对浪漫亲密关系在心理健康中作用的相关研究较为匮乏。本研究旨在探究不同亲密关系特征下的心理健康差异。
【方法】本研究为新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）疫情期间在奥地利开展的基于人群的横断面研究，共纳入3012名受访者。研究通过在线问卷评估了个体的心理健康状况：包括自杀意念（采用贝克自杀意念量表（Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, BSS））、抑郁症状（采用患者健康问卷（Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9））、焦虑症状（采用医院焦虑与抑郁量表（Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS））、心理与躯体暴力经历，以及相较于疫情前的自杀意念与焦虑水平变化；同时评估了亲密关系特征，具体包括亲密关系状态、关系满意度、承诺程度以及家庭结构。
【结果】不同亲密关系状态与关系满意度的组间差异为小到中等程度（偏Eta方ηp2：0.011~0.056）。与拥有幸福亲密关系的个体相比，单身群体的多数心理健康指标表现更差；但相较于关系满意度较低的个体，单身群体的焦虑得分、心理与躯体暴力经历得分，以及相较于疫情前焦虑水平升高的概率均更低（p < 0.001、p < 0.001、p < 0.001及p < 0.01）。此外，在承诺程度较低且与子女同住的亲密关系群体中，自杀意念得分、心理与躯体暴力经历得分最高（p > 0.001、p > 0.01、p > 0.01），但效应量较小（ηp2：0.004~0.015）。
【结论】新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情期间，与单身群体相比，关系满意度较低的个体以及承诺程度较低且与子女同住的亲密关系群体，其心理健康状况更差。而拥有幸福亲密关系则与更优的心理健康水平相关。