Couples Satisfaction during the Covid-19 Pandemic: a Systematic Review

Abstract

Couple’s satisfaction is a relevant phenomenon to study since it is a central element for mental health, especially if couples are affected by a pandemic such as COVID-19. Consequently, the objective of this systematic review was to determine the satisfaction of couples during the COVID-19 pandemic and, as a secondary objective, to establish possible risk factors. The search was carried out following the PRISMA model in the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Medline search engines between January 2020 and March 2021. To evaluate the methodological quality of the study, we used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Regarding the results at the end of the search, five relevant studies were identified for analysis. In the end, it was possible to stipulate that there are no conclusive studies on the incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the satisfaction of couples and that the risk factors were anxiety and anguish, high levels of stress, social isolation, perception of worse mental health, job loss, salary reduction, symptoms of depression, fear of COVID-19, being a woman, parental exhaustion, low wages and parents of children with chronic diseases.