RELATIONSHIPS in the South West under the microscope: new study reveals our couple, family, friendships, sex and work secrets Relate and Relationships Scotland have released their second major relationship report ‘The Way We Are Now’ which presents a glimpse of the UK’s relationships in 2014.

Based on one of the largest surveys of its kind, 5,000 people participated in the research and the results provide a rich insight into people’s friendships and relationships at home, in work and in the bedroom.

The results mostly present a positive image of the nation’s relationships including that four in five people report a good relationship with their partner and only 10 per cent claimed they argue with their partner more often than not, most or all of the time.

However, over 1 in 10 people reported that they had rarely or never felt loved in their day to day lives and certain external pressures, such as money worries, can have a negative impact on relationships.

• 1 in 10 people don’t have a single close friend (9%)

• Nearly 1 in 5 people never or rarely felt loved in the two weeks before the survey (18%)

• 1 in 5 people say they are not satisfied with their sex lives (22%)

• 3 in 10 people their bosses believe the most productive employees put work before family (30%)

• Over 8 out of 10 people have good relationships with their partners (85%)

Ellaine Cameron, Centre Manager of Relate Gloucestershire and Swindon believes these findings may encourage people to seek help from their local Relate Centre during difficult times; “the survey’s results indicate that no relationships are immune to tough patches or challenges that may or may not be within our control. However, Relate can offer a supportive and impartial environment to help individuals, couples or families talk through difficulties, when they arise, in order to reduce the possibility of issues spiraling and seeming ‘unsolvable’”.

The survey presents a modern view of our relationships in the 21st century and indicates that while family separation continues to shape modern family life the quality of family relationships matters more than the size, shape or structure of the family unit.

Other interesting findings include that 58% of people believed a good sex life was very or fairly important, only 33% of people thought a relationship could survive an affair and over a third (35%) of people who were fairly or very dissatisfied with their sex life said they still had a very good relationship with their partner.

Kimberley Wall, Service Development Manager at Relate Gloucestershire and Swindon, believes the survey is an important step towards highlighting the diversity of relationships and claims “the results convey how our relationships are affected by how good we feel about ourselves, our social support system(s) and our home-work life balance. Relationships are dimensional and this survey helps us understand how different areas of our lives interact and influence each other and that there are no “right” answers. We can make up our own relationship rules to reflect what suits our unique situation; at home, in the bedroom or at work”.

Relate Gloucestershire and Swindon offers information, advice and counselling for all stages of your relationships.

Call us on 01242 523215 or visit www.relateglos.co.uk for more information.