A recent report by UCLA psychologists reveals that the implementation of lockdown measures and restrictions during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic had a notable impact on the social networks of white, Black, and Latino couples. The study indicates that these networks experienced a significant reduction in size, particularly among lower-income individuals and Latino and Black couples. Furthermore, even after the availability of vaccines and the easing of the most stringent restrictions, these networks did not fully recover.

This groundbreaking study represents the first comprehensive examination of the pandemic’s repercussions on the interconnectedness of diverse couples hailing from lower-income communities, a demographic particularly susceptible to the risks posed by COVID-19. The results underscore the vulnerability of marginalized groups to the consequences stemming from specific public health measures.

Lasting impact

“Limiting social interactions may well have reduced the spread of infection,” the researchers explain, “but this policy also had unexamined and potentially lasting social costs.”

Researchers from the Laboratory of Psychology closely monitored the behavior of several hundred couples comprising both men and women prior to and following the outbreak of COVID-19. Their investigation unveiled a marked decline of 50% in face-to-face interactions across the board as the pandemic took hold, with scant recovery observed over the subsequent 18-month period.

Notably, couples of Black and Latino backgrounds, as well as those with lower socioeconomic statuses, demonstrated an even more pronounced reduction in the maintenance of their social connections compared to their white and higher-income counterparts.

While it is true that numerous individuals sought to compensate for the dearth of in-person gatherings by relying on technologies such as Zoom and FaceTime, the researchers discovered that even virtual interactions experienced a decline among the couples under scrutiny during the initial months of the pandemic.

Importantly, these declines were not confined to specific relationship categories, but rather extended to encompass connections with both family members and friends, as well as professional colleagues.

“What happened to those lost relationships?” the authors ponder. “One answer is that some simply could not be sustained for so long without frequent interactions to nourish them.”

A mixed picture

The situation appeared somewhat more optimistic for white and wealthier couples in general. Their networks experienced comparatively lesser contraction during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, owing partially to fewer initial declines in social interactions and partly to a greater recovery in the subsequent year. Conversely, lower-income individuals and couples of Latino and Black backgrounds faced more significant reductions in their social networks.

The UCLA Marriage and Close Relationships Lab held a unique vantage point for assessing the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on social networks. Since 2009, the lab had been conducting an extensive long-term study on social interactions among couples. Their cohort, primarily sourced from lower-income neighborhoods, encompassed individuals from diverse income levels, races, and ethnicities, with a majority being of Latino origin.

As the lockdowns prompted concerns of social isolation, Haggerty and his colleagues recognized the opportunity to monitor COVID-19-related changes in the social lives of these couples, leveraging the tools they had in place. Their study scrutinized five sets of meticulous interviews conducted prior to the pandemic and during its initial 18 months, involving 243 husbands and 250 wives. During each interview, spouses provided insights into their relationship dynamics with 24 members of their social networks.

The psychologists uncovered notable variations in the impact of the lockdowns and restrictions on the participants. When stay-at-home orders were enforced in March 2020, prompting a shift to remote work for many Americans, 73% of the interviewed husbands and 48% of the interviewed wives continued working in person. Those who continued in-person work experienced relatively smaller declines in face-to-face contact. However, concerning virtual interactions, husbands who worked outside the home experienced more significant declines compared to those who didn’t.

The researchers suggested that the decrease in virtual interactions may be attributed to the demands of work schedules, which left couples with less time to engage with family and friends virtually.

The findings of the study underscore the importance of devising strategies to mitigate pathogen transmission during future disease outbreaks, while simultaneously safeguarding the in-person interactions necessary for maintaining meaningful relationships.