'Rebound' relationships may reduce distress in young adults, study suggests

Could rebound relationships actually help us adjust after a breakup?

We’ve all heard the typical advice to heal heartbreak after a breakup. They tell us to take time to heal, focus on ourselves, and definitely don’t rush into dating again.

Rebound relationships are often thought to be unhelpful distractions that delay emotional healing, but new research suggests this may not be the case.

A peer-reviewed study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior has found that, for some young adults, ‘rebounding’ after a breakup is linked with lower psychological distress. To be clear, it doesn't solve or erase the heartache, but it does have the potential to stop the intrusive thoughts that keep us stuck in rumination.

What the study explored

The study examined more than 800 people aged 18-25, representing a range of sexual orientations, who had recently experienced a romantic breakup.

Researchers compared young adults who stayed single after the breakup with those who started a new relationship. They did this by tracking levels of distress, self-esteem, and intrusive thoughts; the repetitive, unwanted thoughts that can replay memories of an ex, causing more emotional pain.

The link between heartbreak and intrusive thoughts

Unsurprisingly, breakups were found to be distressing regardless of who initiated the ending. With the end of a relationship often disrupting emotional security, routines, intimacy, and a sense of shared identity, it makes sense that this can be tough to process.

But a key finding was the role of intrusive thoughts.

Many participants reported getting caught in a repetitive thought loop about their former partner, replaying moments, habits, or experiences from the relationship, and the research found that these ruminative thought patterns were closely linked to higher levels of distress.

In other words, it wasn’t just grief alone that impacted the adjustment period, but how persistent and intrusive those thoughts became.

Rebound relationships

The interesting part is that the study found that young adults who entered a new relationship after a breakup tended to report fewer intrusive thoughts about their ex than those who stayed single. This difference, in turn, was associated with lower overall distress.

Importantly, the research does not suggest that starting a new relationship makes heartbreak disappear, or that ‘rebounding’ is a solution that works for everyone.

Grief was still present across both groups, but what differed was how mentally stuck people felt. For some, a new connection seemed to interrupt cycles of rumination, making it easier to disengage from constant thoughts about the past relationship.

While you might be tempted to start swiping or speed dating, it’s important to note that the study doesn’t tell us how rebound relationships impact overall wellbeing, daily functioning, or long-term relationship outcomes.

It also doesn’t explore how healthy, stable, or lasting those new relationships were.

The findings here are correlational, meaning that they don’t prove that new relationships cause reduced distress — only that, for some people, they’re linked with fewer intrusive thoughts post-breakup.

The takeaway

This research challenges the idea that rebound relationships are automatically unhealthy or avoidant, and for some young adults, they may coincide with a psychological shift away from the difficult thought patterns that come with loss.

At the same time, the study doesn’t argue against taking time alone after a breakup. Healing is a journey that is unique to the individual, and what supports one person may overwhelm another.

So, rather than prescribing a single ‘right’ way to recover, the findings suggest that after heartbreak, what often keeps us stuck isn’t the pain itself, but the thoughts that refuse to let go.

And for some, a new connection – at the right time, in the right context – may help loosen that grip.