Mental Health in Affectionate, Antagonistic, and Ambivalent Relationships During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Latent Profile Analysis

Abstract

The ongoing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents an acute stressor affecting mental health. In these stressful times, intimate relationships functioning could serve as a protective or a risk factor to the well-being of partners. Adult Croatian citizens engaged in intimate relationships (N = 727) reported their relationship characteristics and assessed symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress during the state lockdown in May 2020. Three relationship profiles based on variations in key relationship characteristics were identified using latent profile analysis. Profiles represented distinct relationship types described as affectionate, ambivalent, and antagonistic relationships. These relationship types differed in their levels of love and perception of humility, responsiveness, and behavior of the partner. Relationship type was associated with mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and state lockdown. Being in an affectionate relationship was associated with the lowest levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, while in an antagonistic relationship these are in the highest levels. Ambivalent relationships were characterized by moderate levels on all measured mental health indicators with no difference in anxiety compared with affectionate relationships. The results emphasized the link between relationship functioning and successful coping with mental health hazards such as the fear of disease or restrictive measures put in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.