Stating that the coronavirus epidemic has adversely affected everyone's lives and continues to do so, Istanbul Kültür University Department of Psychology academic Assoc. Prof. Melis Seray Özden Yıldırım said that times of crisis also negatively affected partner relations.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, private life between couples has deeply shaken. Disputes began to arise between couples who spent a long time at home due to the pandemic. Stating that the divorce rates have increased due to these reasons, Assoc. Prof. Melis Seray Özden Yıldırım said, “We know that there is a serious increase in divorce rates during the pandemic period. The reason for this increase is usually communication problems, ”.
“Pandemic Period Affected Couples the Most"
Stating that we were caught unprepared for the pandemic period, Assoc. Prof. Melis Seray Özden Yıldırım said, “The most common situation people face in this process is uncertainty. Families and couples were the most affected by the pandemic reality. During the pandemic, most of the relations either ended in separation or the relations got stronger. The biggest factor affecting this process is that people are intertwined for longer than normal times. The fact that couples spend a long time in the same house creates some problems. When couples spend longer time with each other in the house, if there are some problems between them that could not be solved before, those problems also come to light. This causes some conflicts between the couples.”
"The Reason of Divorce is Communication Problem"
Stating that they consider the pandemic period as a traumatic process, Assoc. Prof. Melis Seray Özden Yıldırım said, “It is not clear when the pandemic period will end. For this reason, people also have concerns about when the pandemic will end. Since the pandemic period affects our individual psychology, it is beginning to affect our relations. Again, we know that there is a serious increase in divorce rates during the pandemic period. The reason for this increase is usually communication problems. In other words, the fact that people are in the same house and use “you” language instead of “me” language, they cannot empathize with each other, they get offended with each other instead of talking, all of them constitute the steps on the way to the divorce process.
"Create Small Spaces for Yourself"
Emphasizing that couples should create a space of their own within the same house, our lecturer said, “As long as the physical environment of the house allows, small spaces in the house where couples can stay alone should create their own time zones. The fact that a person creates small spaces for themselves does not mean that they are bored from the opposite side. At the same time, I suggest people working in a home office environment to make a timeline for the distinction between business and private life.”
Stating that being constantly interested in social media also causes controversy between couples, Assoc. Prof. Melis Seray Özden Yıldırım continued her words as follows:
“Valentine's Day, February 14, is a day when we celebrate love. In my therapies, couples mostly complain about not using the words of love for each other. Couples often say, "He/she never tells me he/she loves me." That's why we should be a little more generous when it comes to love. We must tell our partner that we love them."
