When people get married, they don’t often think there’s going to be a stretch of a few months where the only person they have physical contact with is their spouse. And though living together normally presents its own challenges for married couples to deal with, many still found themselves unprepared when the country went into lockdown in the wake of COVID-19. If you are one of the couples who find that new problems have arisen recently and think that talking to a professional might help, contact a New York mental health counselor or a New York marriage counselor.
Covid-19 and Marriage
It is no surprise given the number of stresses placed on marriages, especially new ones, that the divorce rates in the United States were reported to be higher during the time period where most states were completely or almost completely locked down. If you are seeking a divorce or want help in working through issues in your marriage to avoid divorce, contact a New York mental health counselor or a New York marriage counselor to talk about your situation.
There were a number of reasons listed for the increase in couples having marital issues or divorcing. Issues such as financial hardship, stress from worrying about family and friends, social isolation, unemployment, and childcare. A reported 31% of couples in a study done by LegalTemplates, a company that makes legal documents, cited the pandemic as having negatively affected their marriage.
In the study, 20% of the couples who were married in the last 5 months or less were reported to have sought a divorce. In 2019, only 11% of the couples who were married between April and August filed for divorce. Newlyweds seemed to be less equipped to deal with the stresses that the pandemic brought than those who had been married for longer. Seeking help from a New York mental health counselor or a New York marriage counselor may be a way to decrease the chances of irreparable damage to your marriage, especially if you have been married recently.
The uptick in couples filing for or showing interest in divorce spiked about three weeks into the pandemic when most states began the lockdown period. It is during this time where any existing issues in a relationship may become exacerbated or new issues might arise and be taken note of. Couples who are ill-equipped to deal with these issues are not likely to be able to last.
We can’t yet know how the divorce rates are going to continue to be affected as strains from the pandemic influence relationships across the United States, but data from the past few months has shown that it is likely that relationships could be negatively impacted by the virus and the psychological, financial, and social issues that arise from it. Contact a New York mental health counselor or a New York marriage counselor if you would like help dealing with the negative impacts of the pandemic.
Speak to a Marriage Counselor Today
If you and your spouse find yourself facing difficulties in your marriage because of strains from COVID-19, contact us at 212-673-4618 for a consultation with one of our New York mental health counselors or New York marriage counselors at Marriage Couples Counseling.
