Marriage and divorce during the pandemic

a person takes off their wedding ring
The pandemic has placed a lot of stress on married couples, leading to a global rise in divorce, according to the BBC.
cottonbro on Pexels file

We’ve dealt with a lot of loss this past year. Many people have lost a loved one to COVID-19. All of us have lost daily routines and activities that brought us joy.

Host Angela Davis and her guests talk about a different type of grief that the pandemic has brought: the heartbreak of ending a marriage.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, divorce rates have been increasing around the world, according to the BBC. U.S. statistics on marriage and divorce during the pandemic won’t be available for a while, but the anecdotal evidence is clear — the pandemic is hard on relationships.

The challenges of the global health crisis have also drawn some couples closer together. Angela and her guests discuss the good and the bad of married pandemic life, and answer listener questions about their own marriages.

Guests:

  • Porsche Peak Gordin is a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Peak Behavioral Health, a mental health clinic in Little Canada, Minn.

  • Steve Harris is a professor in the Couple and Family Therapy Program in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota.

Use the audio player above to listen to the program.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.