Dear Colleagues,

Successful relationships are a key component of health and well-being. Extant literature has well documented the associations between physical and mental health, especially, the role of relationships satisfaction and happiness in one’s overall well-being. For example, scholars consistently see a link between the state of one’s intimate relationship and the incidence of depression, as well as the subsequent link between depression and how it affects one’s biology in a myriad of ways, impacting the cardiovascular system and neurocognitive functions, causing chronic pain and inflammation, and increasing the potential for substance use and abuse. In addition, couples mutually influence each others’ health outcomes due to overlaps in their lives such as sharing the same environment, a tendency to engage in similar levels of health-consciousness, and the observation and matching of each other’s mood states.

We are at a critical time in our society. The stresses of the global pandemic have determined a change in our roles, routines, and households in unprecedented ways. The economic and physical toll COVID-19 takes on individuals, business, and other aspects of society are well documented in the media. What is less frequently discussed, however, is the cost to relationships. Across the U.S., there have been documented changes in relationships as people have begun to stay at home. These changes include increases in the incidence of intimate partner violence, conflict in parenting, increased conflict in couple relationships, and the potential for relationship break-ups. These emotional impacts may further increase the burden caused by financial or housing issues a family may be facing.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to highlight innovative methods, interventions, assessments, and practices that strengthen couple relationships. The definition of “couple relationships” for this Special Issue is inclusive: submissions can focus on strengthening relationships of all types (mixed-gender, same-gender, queer, poly-, etc.). Empirical articles, qualitative studies, theoretical papers, and reviews are welcome for this Special Issue.

Prof. Katherine Hertlein
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• couples
• relationships
• intimacy
• relationship satisfaction
• intervention