More than one in eight Britons living with a partner in lockdown is experiencing relationship doubts, new research has found.
According to a survey conducted by the charity Relate, this figure rises to one in five (21 per cent) among 25-34-year-olds.
Meanwhile, almost a quarter (23 per cent) of the 2,021 UK adults surveyed who have a partner said the lockdown is putting pressure on their relationship while an additional quarter (27 per cent) said they were finding their partner irritating.
Relate also reported a surge in visits to a self-help article on its website titled “Everything my partner does irritates me”, with traffic to the web page up by a third.
The charity also surveyed parents who are adapting to living with their children in lockdown and found that 34 per cent are finding it hard to create structure by sticking to a routine in their homes.
An additional 24 per cent of parents said their children’s behaviour has become a problem since lockdown was imposed on 23 March.
It wasn’t all bad, though, as 65 per cent of respondents said they felt supported by their partner during this time while 43 per cent of those surveyed said they felt closer to their partner as a result of being home together all the time.
But such feelings did not necessarily translate when it came to sexual intimacy, with just 17 per cent of respondents living with a partner in lockdown saying they are having more sex than usual.
Commenting on the findings, Aidan Jones, chief executive of Relate, said: “We always see a peak in people seeking relationship support after Christmas, when spending unusually long together brings issues to the surface.
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A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street
Photos Angela Christofilou
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Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread
Angela Christofilou
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An empty street in the heart of Chinatown
Angela Christofilou
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People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown
Angela Christofilou
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A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown
Angela Christofilou
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Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance
Angela Christofilou
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A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus
Angela Christofilou
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Making sure I stay two-meters apart – D’Arblay Street, Soho
Angela Christofilou
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A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice
Angela Christofilou
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A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden
Angela Christofilou
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As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street
Angela Christofilou
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A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area
Angela Christofilou
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Communities have been coming together in a time of need
Angela Christofilou
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A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day
Angela Christofilou
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A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced
Angela Christofilou
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During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown
Angela Christofilou
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Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time
Angela Christofilou
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‘Stay Safe’ – Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures
Angela Christofilou
19/29
Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown
Angela Christofilou
20/29 Camden High Street
There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops
Angela Christofilou
21/29
Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day
Angela Christofilou
22/29
Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up
Angela Christofilou
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Empty streets around Soho
Angela Christofilou
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A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home
Angela Christofilou
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Camden High Street, one of London’s busiest tourist streets turns quiet
Angela Christofilou
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Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak
Angela Christofilou
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Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced
Angela Christofilou
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A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road
Angela Christofilou
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A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub
Angela Christofilou
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A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street
Photos Angela Christofilou
2/29
Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread
Angela Christofilou
3/29
An empty street in the heart of Chinatown
Angela Christofilou
4/29
People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown
Angela Christofilou
5/29
A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown
Angela Christofilou
6/29
Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance
Angela Christofilou
7/29
A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus
Angela Christofilou
8/29
Making sure I stay two-meters apart – D’Arblay Street, Soho
Angela Christofilou
9/29
A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice
Angela Christofilou
10/29
A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden
Angela Christofilou
11/29
As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street
Angela Christofilou
12/29
A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area
Angela Christofilou
13/29
Communities have been coming together in a time of need
Angela Christofilou
14/29
A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day
Angela Christofilou
15/29
A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced
Angela Christofilou
16/29
During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown
Angela Christofilou
17/29
Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time
Angela Christofilou
18/29
‘Stay Safe’ – Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures
Angela Christofilou
19/29
Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown
Angela Christofilou
20/29 Camden High Street
There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops
Angela Christofilou
21/29
Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day
Angela Christofilou
22/29
Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up
Angela Christofilou
23/29
Empty streets around Soho
Angela Christofilou
24/29
A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home
Angela Christofilou
25/29
Camden High Street, one of London’s busiest tourist streets turns quiet
Angela Christofilou
26/29
Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak
Angela Christofilou
27/29
Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced
Angela Christofilou
28/29
A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road
Angela Christofilou
29/29
A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub
Angela Christofilou
“Add to that the current extended period of isolation, worries about job security, finances, how to juggle work with childcare and uncertainty about the future – and it’s clear why we’re expecting a post-lockdown relationship reckoning.”
Jones added that the findings reflect what Relate’s relationships counselors are seeing with clients.
“People coming to us for support are saying that the Covid-19 pandemic and its repercussions are magnifying existing issues.
“Everyone’s trying their best to get through whilst stuck under one roof but that door won’t stay closed forever, which is why we’re urging anyone experiencing issues to get in touch now rather than letting things fester until things get irreparably bad.”
If you want to find out more about seeking support with relationship issues, visit Relate’s website here.
