Women's experiences of couple interactions during the COVID-19-related restrictions

The outbreak of COVID-19 has profoundly affected people's daily lives, and caused various challenges. Interactions of spouses has been one of the most important dimensions of life affected by these changes. The aim of this study was to identify the dimensions of women's experience of couple interactions during the restrictions imposed during COVID-19 pandemic. This research was conducted with a qualitative approach and a phenomenological method. The participants included 11 married women in Tehran who, during the restrictions caused by COVID-19, spent most of their time at home with their husbands. Data were collected using semi-structured and in-depth interviews. The data obtained from the interviews were coded and analyzed using the Colaizzi's method. The data were categorized into 18 sub-themes and three main themes. The findings showed that the potential of a couple relationship in crises can be such that individuals spontaneously do things to reduce the tensions in a way that this not only reduces the amount of stress, but also enriches their relationship. Women who had such an experience saw the forced situation of being together as a good opportunity to fix their relationship. But the spouses who did not have a normal couple relationship and did not have the necessary skills to repair the gaps and there has been tension, disconnection or overlapping roles and transgression of boundaries in their relationship, would make the gap in the relationship deeper with inappropriate reactions; therefore, this period has led to more conflicts for them.