For many, expressing emotions in romantic relationships can feel vulnerable and risky.
Yet, sharing feelings openly with a partner might be more beneficial than previously thought, even for those experiencing social anxiety – a condition often associated with significant discomfort in social situations.
A 2025 study by Kaitlyn B. Schodt and Kristin D. Mickelson, published in Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, found that openly expressing emotions within romantic relationships is positively linked to relationship health, and this beneficial effect remains strong regardless of social anxiety symptoms.
Social anxiety is characterized by a fear of being judged, evaluated, or negatively scrutinized by others, often resulting in emotional suppression and difficulty managing feelings effectively.
Prior research has highlighted how individuals with social anxiety typically experience challenges in forming and maintaining romantic relationships, largely due to their reluctance to express emotions.
This emotional guardedness is often adopted as a protective strategy against perceived social rejection.
However, such emotional withholding frequently leads to decreased intimacy and satisfaction within relationships.
In their two-part study, Schodt and Mickelson first analyzed data from 317 university students and subsequently validated their findings with an additional sample of 282 adults recruited from the general public.
Participants in both studies reported their level of emotional expression specifically within their romantic relationships, their interpersonal emotion regulation skills (the ability to manage emotions effectively within relationship dynamics), and various aspects of their relationship health, including intimacy, closeness, and overall satisfaction.
Surprisingly, the results revealed a clear and robust pattern: higher emotional expressivity within romantic partnerships was consistently associated with better relationship health.
Crucially, this beneficial effect was primarily driven by interpersonal emotion regulation skills – the ability to manage one’s emotions effectively in a relationship context – which appeared to mediate the positive effects of emotional expressivity.
Interestingly, contrary to what some might expect, the level of social anxiety symptoms participants experienced did not significantly alter the benefits of openly expressing emotions.
Individuals experiencing social anxiety benefited from openly sharing emotions with their partners just as much as those without social anxiety symptoms.
The research underscores that while social anxiety might discourage emotional openness, the practice of sharing one’s feelings with a trusted partner can foster stronger relationships and greater intimacy.
Rather than exacerbating fears of rejection, emotional expressivity seems to reinforce relationship health through improved emotional management between partners.
These findings suggest a powerful takeaway for those managing social anxiety and their partners: practicing emotional openness can enhance relationship satisfaction, closeness, and intimacy.
While the study did not directly address therapeutic interventions, its outcomes imply that relationship-focused strategies emphasizing open emotional communication could be beneficial even for socially anxious individuals.
Still, the researchers caution that their findings are based on self-reported, cross-sectional data, and future research is necessary to explore these dynamics more deeply.
Specifically, investigating these patterns over time or within various relationship stages – such as early dating versus long-term partnerships—might yield additional insights.
Ultimately, Schodt and Mickelson’s study highlights the significance of emotional transparency as a fundamental ingredient in healthy romantic relationships, offering reassurance to those who might otherwise suppress their emotions out of anxiety or fear.
For couples navigating emotional openness, these insights serve as a reminder that the willingness to express feelings openly and constructively is not only courageous but profoundly beneficial to relationship wellbeing.
Citation
Schodt, K. B., & Mickelson, K. D. (2025). Emotion expressivity and regulation in romantic relationships: The role of social anxiety. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 14(2), 149–164. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000249
