609 | Security in the Storm: How Adult Attachments Can Mitigate Stress During Uncertainty

Since the onset of COVID-19, pandemic-related stressors have emerged and impacted multiple life areas, including work and school (Costa-Cordella et al., 2022; Ting, 2022). These stressors have also affected intimate relationships (Stanley & Markman, 2020), potentially leading to increased conflict and decreased effective communication (Chamberland, 2021). Previous studies have noted that attachment styles affect behavioral patterns and coping strategies during times of conflict (Beck et al., 2013), showing that securely attached romantic partners can “buffer” insecurely attached partners during times of emotional and behavioral distress, thus improving relationship quality (Overall et al., 2013; Simpson & Overall, 2014). Recent studies examined how attachment styles impacted intimate partner relationships and conflict during COVID-19 (Costa-Cordella et al., 2022; Stanley & Markman, 2020; Ting, 2022). This presentation will help psychologists, licensed mental health professionals, and ministry leaders examine how attachment patterns may present in romantic relationships and common coping strategies used by secure and insecure romantic partners during relationship stress. Further, the presentation will discuss research on attachment styles and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic, including factors impacting intimate relationships.