Marital Problems?

You’re not alone. Did you know that since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out a year ago, more marriages have failed than at any other period in history?

Divorce Rates

According to the law firm Stewarts, divorce and breakup inquiries jumped 122 percent between July and October during the pandemic. In the United States, 40 to 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce.

In China, where the strictest lockdowns started, saw a rise in divorce agreements, citing the need to stay home contributing to the rates. Zhang Fujian, director of Wuhan Marriage and Family Committee reported the divorce rate had doubled. “Before the outbreak, some couples rarely spent much time together. During the outbreak, arguments between couples on childcare, housework, cooking and grocery shopping was enough to increase tensions,” Zhang said, adding that post-80s and post-70s generations are the most likely to divorce, and the majority of those have children.” (source: https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1185583.shtml)

In Sweden, there was a sharp rise in divorce applications during the pandemic. Normally seeing divorces fall in the summer months, there was an increase compared to the previous year.
(Source: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201203-why-the-pandemic-is-causing-spikes-in-break-ups-and-divorces)

Types of Marital Problems

So why are there so many marital problems? One thing is the fact we spent so much time together along with the stress of health and financial needs, we were forced to connect with our partner and communicate better. Many times couples found they were not compatible after all this time.

Uneven Distribution of Responsibilities

Other factors included the stress and tensions from one partner solely becoming the teacher, childcare provider, and full-time home care worker. This stress of taking on this new role, especially from those who had previously been working full time outside the home, built causing conflict between couples.

Marital problems are from many factors including incompatibility and growing apart. This can simply be a lack of shared values, marrying too young, or religious differences.
Communication problems are about half of all the reasons couples separate. Arguing all the time and not being able to talk to each other were big causes of divorce.

photo by Vera Arsic from Pexels

Finances

Financial disagreements, particularly how the spouse handles money, is another fairly common reason for divorce. Lying or keeping secret withdrawing savings or making investments or large purchases without your spouse’s input was cited as a cause for divorce. Arguing or not talking regularly about finances can cause separation.

Affairs

Extramarital affairs and substance abuse are other factors that lead to divorce. Having an affair, or several affairs over time leads to distrust from your spouse. It shows a sign of disrespect for them. It could be the final straw in the dissolution of a marriage that had other problems that led to the affair.

Abuse

Domestic abuse is an important reason for divorce. Whether it’s emotional, physical, or mental abuse, victims are more likely than the abuser to see the behavior as a cause for divorce.
Marital problems aren’t a rarity. In fact, all marriages struggle through some form of the problem at least once. The depth of the problem, the length of time it goes on, and how well you communicate all determine if the marital problem can be resolved or the marriage dissolved.

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