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- As China works to contain the coronavirus with emergency quarantines, one city is reporting a record high number of divorce requests.
- Officials say it's likely due to couples who have been kept in close quarters for long periods of time without access to the outside world.
- However, it's unclear if this effect is more widespread.
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Among the unexpected side affects of the global coronavirus outbreaks, some of the more peculiar include a rise in racist pornography, the unexpected popularity of a certain 2011 movie, and a vodka company cautioning people that its product can't protect against the virus.
Now added to that list is a spike in divorce rates in China that officials say is linked to the coronavirus.
The Global Times reported that the Chinese city of Xi'an has seen a record-high number of divorce requests in recent weeks, with some districts even maxing out the number of appointments available at local government offices.
Health officials say the increase could be explained by two factors.
First, offices have been closed for a month, so are likely be hit by a wave of delayed requests now that they've re-opened, the Global Times reported.
Secondly, many people have been quarantined in close quarters, creating an especially inflammatory environment for marital feuding.
"As a result of the epidemic, many couples have been bound with each other at home for over a month, which evoked the underlying conflicts," an official identified by his surname Wang told the Global Times.
Another officials told the Global Times that many couples regretted the procedure, which can be done much quicker in Xi'An than some other places — no more than 30 or 40 minutes. Han said many decided to remarry within hours.
It provides an interesting conundrum for researchers, who cannot decide on whether time spent together in close quarters is a good or bad thing for couples.
In 2018, a study found couples who lived together before marriage had lower divorce rates in the first year, but higher divorce rates in the five years after. Another recent study found living together protected against divorce, and one found it made no difference.
Ultimately, balance is key, psychologists Rob Pascale and Lou Primavera PhD, authors of Making Marriage Work, said in an article for Psychology Today.
"A mix of time with friends and family, time together as a couple, and separate time for each partner add to marital quality, as does an equal split between our circle and activities and those of our partner," they wrote.
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Gabby is a Senior Health Reporter, with a focus on nutrition, fitness, longevity, and all things performance.Her coverage spans from the daily routines of top athletes like Michael Phelps and Coco Gauff to the latest cutting-edge science on building muscle to the rise of peptides, supplements, and GLP medications. She loves a deep dive into fitness subcultures, health companies, or the science behind managing and preventing disease, particularly early-onset cancers. Gabby has a background in investigative journalism (previously contributing research for an investigation on correctional healthcare for the New Yorker).In her free time, she likes lifting heavy, running fast, and playing roller derby for Gotham in New York City.Send story ideas and tips to glandsverk@businessinsider.com.Expertise/Interests
- Longevity: how to dial in a daily routine to invest in long-term health, and what makes some of the longest-living people on earth active and vibrant as they age.
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- Healthy eating: how to navigate conflicting and contradictory advice across trends like protein-maxxing, intermittent fasting, and the Mediterranean, Nordic, and MIND diets.
- Medical weight loss: how emerging science around treatments like GLP medications are shaping the connections between food, weight, and health.
- Digital wellness: investigating how telehealth is changing access to healthcare, including through peptides, hormones, and direct-to-consumer lab tests.
- Strength sports, including Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, Hyrox, and CrossFit.
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