Since the advent of Covid-19, the term "quarantine breakup" has emerged. The term, used to describe what appears to be a disproportionate amount of relationships that broke up during Covid-19 (especially during quarantine or self-isolation), is attached to friends, family, and couples who have decided to separate. But has the rate of division really increased throughout the pandemic, or is it simply a psychological effect?
Although it all started as a joke and meme, divorce lawyers in Wuhan reported a nearly 30% increase in divorces in March 2020, when their self-isolation ended, but noted that this may have been due to a large number of divorce applications, pre-quarantine.
However, according to an article published by National Law Review in mid-October, "by April [2020], interest in divorce had already increased by 34% in the US, and younger couples were more likely to file for divorce "For divorce. 20% of newlywed couples aged 5 months or less filed for divorce. That figure was 11% in 2019."
What is interesting, is that the time here coincides with the results found in research published in 2016 that show that divorce rates tend to be seasonal, peaking between March and August. Moreover, according to a new study based on demographic information of 5 states in the US, divorce rates have fallen during the pandemic, going below predicted rates based on data from previous years.
If so, then how did the perceived phenomenon of “quarantine separation” arise?
The phenomenon may be at play; a psychological effect that occurs when we combine what we pay attention to (known as "selective attention") and our natural tendency to seek information that confirms our already existing beliefs (known as "confirmation bias"). In other words, we have a natural tendency to believe that there is a greater frequency of whatever we are paying attention to.
So, is it all an illusion? More or less.
Source: Psychology Today
