- Financial stress can spill over into romantic relationships, with couples reporting more relationship stress when money worries were higher.
- Emotional support — showing care, understanding and reassurance — appeared to help buffer that spillover during the week-long study.
- Practical problem-solving didn’t show the same short-term benefit, though the researchers say it may become more useful over longer periods.
When a big credit card bill hits or the rent is due, that stress can bleed into our closest relationships, adding another source of tension between partners.
But according to a new study out of the University of Florida, a partner who provides emotional support – rather than simply trying to solve the financial problems at hand – can reduce how much stress spills over from financial worries into the relationship dynamic.
“Economic issues are increasingly important nowadays, so we wanted to understand how couples handle economic stress, how this can influence their relationship stress and how couples can deal with it,” said Zhongchi Li, a graduate student in psychology at UF and lead author of the new study.
Li and UF Professor of Psychology Gregory Webster, Ph.D., surveyed 84 unmarried couples about their levels of financial and relationship stress. Each member of the couple filled out a baseline survey. For the next seven days, the couple reported their stress once a day.
