The coronavirus (COVID-19) disease outbreak: The effect on emotional well-being and the role of relationship status in Greece and in Cyprus

The current research examines the impact of the coronavirus disease outbreak on emotional welfare and the moderating impact of relationship status in the Greek cultural context. We found that participants were more likely to experience severe and extremely severe instances of depression, anxiety and stress after than before the outbreak. We also found that the COVID-19 outbreak was associated with lower life satisfaction. However, the effects were small. With respect to relationship status, we found that participants who were involuntarily single experienced more negative emotions and lower life satisfaction than those who preferred to be single, those who were between relationships, and those who were in an intimate relationship. No significant interaction between the COVID-19 outbreak and relationship status was found, suggesting that the impact of the outbreak on emotional well-being was similar in those who were single and in those who were in a relationship.