Together and Apart: Dual Attachment Bonds to Cohabiting and Separated Partners Predict Relationship and Psychological Outcomes During COVID-19 Lockdowns.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people relied on romantic partners for support despite physical separation. This study expands the concept of a safe haven by examining how multi-partner attachment systems influenced intrapersonal (e.g., mental health) and interpersonal (e.g., relationship satisfaction, commitment) outcomes among people in at least two concurrent committed relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, 186 people practicing polyamory who were separated from one partner(s) and cohabiting with another partner(s) completed a survey during March to May of 2020. Analyses indicated that attachment anxiety and avoidance negatively predicted relationship satisfaction within each relationship with cohabiting and SPs. Attachment anxiety to both cohabiting and separated partners further predicted greater COVID distress. Attachment avoidance to a cohabiting partner negatively predicted COVID distress while attachment avoidance to a separated partner positively predicted COVID distress. One unique cross-relationship effect emerged: attachment anxiety to a separated partner predicted increased commitment to a cohabiting partner.