Research reveals relationships in five UK cities are less likely to survive a local lockdown
During the recent lockdown, most couples in the UK spent significantly more time in each other’s company.
While many relationships have grown closer during lockdown, couples in some cities have had a more negative experience than others.
With local lockdowns still happening across the country, it is a concern that some relationships might not survive.
According to new research from Stowe Family Law, the top five cities with couples living together who have struggled the most during lockdown are:
- Bristol – 12.7%
- Norwich – 12.5%
- Nottingham – 12%
- London – 10.6%
- Glasgow – 9.62%
The research revealed that many people missed having alone time, with a lack of personal space topping the list of pressures they felt living with a partner (17%).
This was closely followed by mental health and financial difficulty (16%). Other pressures such as work stress (13.5%) and finding a partner irritating (13%) were also common factors.
If a partner did not take government advice seriously, such as ignoring social distancing rules or not washing their hands regularly, this also caused friction in a relationship (10%).
“Most couples in the UK have handled lockdown relatively well; however, there are signs that some couples may struggle to cope if a local lockdown is announced in their area” comments Julian Hawkhead, Senior Partner at Stowe Family Law.
“We are now in a time where people are facing the long-term implications of lockdown; this may be through financial difficulty or the impact on emotional wellbeing.
With extra pressure put on relationships, unfortunately, a second wave could push already strained relationships towards separation or divorce.”
In the study conducted by Stowe Family Law, the age group most likely to have had a negative experience were 45-54 years, with lockdown magnifying issues in their relationship (10.5%).
It was also discovered that women were more likely to see a negative change in the relationship compared to men overall.
