Changes in social connection during COVID-19 social distancing: It’s not (household) size that matters, it’s who you’re with

The study highlights that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the size of a household or the number of people someone lived with was less important for maintaining a sense of social connection than the quality of those relationships. Specifically, living with a romantic partner was found to significantly help individuals feel connected and supported during social distancing measures, more so than living with other household members like roommates, pets, or even children.

The broader takeaway is that who you live with—and the emotional closeness and support you share with them—matters more for well-being than just having more people around. This finding suggests that public health policies should balance physical health measures (like social distancing) with strategies to support emotional and psychological needs, such as allowing safe ways for people to interact with close partners or loved ones.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0245009