Just over three couples separate on average every day in Malta as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic adds new challenges to relationships.

Official figures show that Malta saw around 1,143 separations in 2020, just over three a day, with Maltese family therapist Karl Wright telling TVM that the pandemic was a key factor in this.

Noting that some couples had actually found ways to become closer amidst the pandemic, he said that more serious issues arise if the couple have kids together.

“If the couples separate and everyone goes their separate ways, that’s fine, but if there are children involved, they remain those children’s parents forever. So then we need to see what negotiations are going to take place as parents so that they continue to be good examples to their children,” Wright said.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, there’s been a rise in couples seeking help to remain together. While some couples may be feeling pressure due to the pandemic, many of them were seeking help due to secondary effects, such as losing a job or increased stress at work.

Not being able to go out and spending more time together can also lead to further frustrations, with couple’s social and romantic lives having to completely change from what they used to be.

However, it wasn’t all bad news, with Wright reporting that many couples had become closer than ever during the pandemic, banding together to find solutions to new problems.

Urging any couple that feels like it needs help to seek professional guidance, he ended by reminding people that relationships are “alive” and one must constantly evaluate how their personal relationship is going if they want it to succeed.

Did you expect these statistics?