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Arch Market Research Star

Setting the Scene

Love & life in unprecedented times

The COVID-19 pandemic, unparalleled in its disruption, introduced a multifaceted set of challenges across nearly every aspect of human life. Relationships, the core fabric of our social existence, were not spared. As couples worldwide navigated the uncharted waters of lockdowns, remote work, health anxieties, and social isolation, their dynamics inevitably evolved. With such transformative experiences unfolding, OURS sought to deeply comprehend these shifts. As we emerge from this tumultuous period, there is a pressing need to grasp how couples feel, think, and relate. This study by Arch Insights is a beacon in that quest, shedding light on the nuanced intricacies of modern relationships in a post-pandemic world.

Arch Market Research Star

The Mission

Understand relationships in a new era

The primary goal of the project was to delve deeply into the relationship habits of millennials and their receptivity to couples therapy. Arch Insights conducted a comprehensive study focusing on:

  1. Unpacking how millennials approach "hard conversations" within their relationships.

  2. Gauging the transformation of relationships during the unprecedented times of COVID-19.

  3. Investigating the intricate link between relationship health and overall mental well-being.

  4. Assessing the interest in couples counseling, identifying perceived barriers, and understanding prevailing perceptions surrounding the idea.

Arch Market Research Star

The Approach

Navigating love's labrinth

Sampling & Demographics:

  • Total Survey Respondents: 539 (surveyed in April 2022); Results are directional due to sample size

  • Demographics: Aged 26-40, U.S.-based, self-identifying as in a relationship

  • Gender Breakdown: Weighted results at 51% male / 49% female, referencing Statistics Times data for the 25-39 age bracket.

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Relationship Status of Survey Respondents:

  • Married/Long-term partnerships: 67%

  • Engaged: 7%

  • Seriously dating (cohabiting): 18%

  • Seriously dating (separate living): 4%

  • Casually dating: 3%

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Orientation: 83% identified as heterosexual.

We loved working with Arch. They drove the project from start to finish, had deep subject matter expertise, and delivered an impactful result for us. We got more than we expected, faster than we expected, and couldn't be happier with the outcome.

ADAM PUTTERMAN, CO-FOUNDER

Arch Market Research Star

The Results

Unearthing Relationship Trends

  • The majority of individuals (89%) believe that relationship health is one of the most important factors for their mental and emotional health

  • A little over half (59%) of the respondents believe that the stigma around therapy is decreasing; for those who have attended therapy, 77% of respondents said that they had talked to a friend (beside their partner) about attending couples counseling or their desire to attend couples counseling

  • Most individuals (89%) believe that there would be value in going to couple’s counseling sessions (84% said that they believe healthy relationships would benefit), yet only 35% of individuals indicated that they have attended couples counseling

  • Looking specifically at premarital counseling, 36% of married (or long-term committed partnership) couples attend some form of counseling prior to marriage; for those not yet married, 45% of couples plan to attend some form of premarital counseling

  • The majority of individuals (71%), female and male, wish that they had more information on how to talk about conflict and other big relationship topics with their partner

  • Relationships were impacted differently during COVID (e.g., some felt it brought them closer together, others apart, and some a bit of both), but most (74%) agreed that COVID highlighted the importance of investing in their relationships and led them to be more intentional about their relationship health

  • The main barriers to going to therapy are cost, finding the right therapist, and getting their partner to go; there are some differences across genders with the barriers with females being more likely than their male counterparts to identify cost and getting their partner to go as barriers, while males are more likely than their female counterparts to say that the stigma of therapy / counseling is a barrier

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