The psychological consequences of isolation are known, to an extent. But the drawbacks of enforced togetherness are not. Therapeutically speaking we are in uncharted territory, and data beyond the anecdotal is in very short supply. But there are hints that the impact may be weightier than we realise.
Divorce lawyers predict an increase in their work after the acute crisis passes, and reports suggest that Chinese cities have seen a recent surge. Even more worrying is the dramatic increase in calls to organisations dealing with domestic abuse, up 25 per cent in the case of the UK's National Domestic Abuse helpline.
World War II taught us the importance of our connections with the people that matter. Children were separated from their parents to protect them from being bombed. This led psychologists to study attachment in the post-war period. Our need for attachment is deep-rooted - as important as food. We seek out the people we value, particularly when we are stressed. When faced with existential threat as we are now, we depend on our loved ones and worry about those who are isolated.
During the Blitz, people sheltered together in groups or talked to their neighbours. Today we are either alone or hermetically sealed off with our nearest and dearest. This totally unique situation is like a lens which magnifies sometimes unexpected character traits. Being locked up together in small groups disrupts our emotional self-regulation, in ways that can lead to a variety of outcomes.