Relational Intensification in Families During COVID-19: A Comparative Study of Slovenia and Croatia

Andrej Naterer, PhD, Dunja Potočnik, PhD and Danijela Lahe, PhD are the authors of the scientific paper “Relational Intensification in Families During COVID-19: A Comparative Study of Slovenia and Croatia“. The paper is published in open access in the journal “Family Relations“ (Q1 in Scimago).

The paper analyses how young people in Slovenia and Croatia perceived changes in family satisfaction, parent–child relationship quality, and the influence of family on important decisions before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the nationally representative data of the CSF project YO-VID22, along with the findings obtained in focus groups, the paper suggests that family relations have mostly remained positive, while family dynamics, intensified due to anti-pandemic measures, has strengthened both emotional support and interpersonal tensions. Croatian participants experienced greater stability and stronger involvement of extended family members during the pandemic. Youth in Slovenia, on the other hand, reported greater shifts in evaluations of quality of family relations and in autonomy negotiations. The study outlines the creation of family resilience as a dynamic process of renegotiation of boundaries, authority, cohesion, and autonomy during social disruption, emphasising the importance of supportive communciation, autonomy-promoting practices, and availability of external support to families during crises.

The paper is available here.