BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — At any time in history, relationships have been affected by squabbles about finances, childrearing, and intimacy.
But when the novel coronavirus was unleashed upon the global community in 2020, yet another source of contention was unleashed upon many a marriage.
National divorce rates
World Population Review states that as of 2022, “In the United States, about 50% of married couples divorce.” This means America has the sixth-highest divorce rate in the world.
The Review adds that secondary marriages have an even higher likelihood of ending in divorce, with 60% of such unions ending.
Divorce rates in Louisiana
In Louisiana, the divorce rate -which is defined as the number of divorces that occur annually per 1,000 people- is an estimated 12%, according to the Review.
How COVID-19 fits into the picture
A number of experts believe the pandemic triggered upsets to daily life, and these changes created increasingly rocky terrain for marriages that were once on more solid ground.
In a recent CNBC article on the topic, New York City divorce lawyer Lisa Beth Older, said, “Marital conflicts have definitely been on the rise since the pandemic. I have noticed a rise in the number of clients seeking a divorce. I get three to four inquiries a day for my services, whereas prior to Covid the inquiries were much less.”
Older said the increased conflicts seemed to stem from more people working from home, and couples spending more time around each other than they were used to.
She added that arguments about vaccines and whether or not to vaccinate children are not uncommon, saying, “The most common conflict I see is where the custodial parents have different outlooks on Covid and how it affects their children.”
Marriage counseling
A number of couples are working to protect their relationships through couples counseling, and many experts agree that therapy can help some marriages.
For example, according to The American Psychological Association, couples counseling that involves a technique called “Emotionally-Focused Therapy” (EFT) has been proven 75 % effective.
Click here for information from the American Psychological Association on how to find a reliable therapist.
