Breakup Distress and Loss of Intimacy in University Students

Breakup distress and reasons for breakup including affiliation, intimacy, sexuality and autonomy reasons were studied in 119 university students who had experienced a recent breakup of a romantic relationship. The sample was divided into high and low breakup distress groups based on a median score on the Breakup Distress Scale. The groups were then compared on their responses on the Breakup Reasons Scale. Only the intimacy subscale differentiated the high versus low breakup distress groups. These data highlight the importance of intimacy for romantic relationships and the loss of intimacy as a reason for breakups.