Quarantine, distress and interpersonal relationships during COVID‐19

Abstract

Novel zoonosis COVID-19 first emerged in Wuhan, China, but rapidly spread to the other regions in China. The spread of this severe acute respiratory syndrome led to the quarantine of 60 million Chinese citizens. Such isolation measures have been associated with increased depression, stress and emotional disturbance.1–3 However, major traumatic events can amplify both positive and negative aspects of interpersonal relations, leading to competing narratives of both harm and enhancement.4 5 Quarantine can create family dependencies, threaten livelihoods and lead to the stigmatisation of those infected.3 6 School closures and disruption of family care seriously disrupt regular domestic practices.2 7 Domestic abuse may burgeon in a situation of forced confinement.1 2 Community relations may become strained as individuals fear infection from others. Anxiety may quickly spread through social networks via a process of ‘emotional contagion’ in which people ‘catch’ the worry of others.8 At the same time, however, large-scale containment may promote common solidarities.3 6 Romantic relationships can provide a sense of security during a time of existential concern.9 New liaisons may arise within and across communities, with community-level support associated with lower levels of distress.10 At present, it is unclear the extent to which relationship enhancement or decline will apply across different forms of relationships. In this forum, we report early work where we explore the associations between quarantine and reported changes across a range of relationships while controlling for psychological distress.

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