Fifth of UK adults had a relationship breakdown during Covid, study finds

Young people more likely to be affected, with job losses and finances playing a possible role, say experts

More than one in five adults said they experienced a complete breakdown in a relationship at home or at work in the past year, the UK's largest study of social ties during the pandemic has revealed.

Younger people were more likely to have their relationships affected, with experts saying it showed the disproportionate effect of the pandemic on this age group. They added that job losses and anxiety over finances could have played a role, as well as the inability to see people outside their household during the lockdown.