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If there were a stock market for human interaction, dating would have taken a major hit this week, romance would be down 300 points and friendships would be hoping for an emergency bailout.

The financial crisis currently affecting the world economy is also having a devastating effect on interpersonal relationships, as people try to figure out how to deal with one another in the face of job uncertainty, dwindling savings and the stress of a shaky economy.

"Finances are already a stressful issue for couples, and this just raises the stress," said Peter Larson, a couples counsellor based in Minneapolis and co-author of The Couple Checkup. "It is tough on relationships right now."

South of the border, crisis hotlines are experiencing an increase in calls from homeowners facing foreclosure.

Couples are putting off their nuptials and spending less on weddings.

The American Psychological Association has published tips on how to handle the emotional stress triggered by financial worries, and psychologists in the United States are reporting higher levels of alcoholism, domestic violence and marital problems since the mortgage crisis began.

"They're depressed, anxious. It's affected marriages, relationships," Richard Chaifetz, chief executive officer of ComPsych, a Chicago-based employee-assistance firm, told USA Today.

In Canada, consumers are also scaling back their spending, especially when it comes to restaurants, according to RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

In 2007, the Journal of Family and Economic Issues published a study of 4,997 couples that found financial strain had a major impact on their interaction. Not only did couples who were experiencing money trouble fight more; they had less fun when they were together.

"What we found was that financial strain had a huge impact on quality time, and whether they were spending their free time together," said Clinton Gudmunson, one of the study's authors. "Financial strain leads to disagreements, and that sharply led to a decrease in quality time."

But some believe that the current financial crisis could be something of a market correction for relationships, reminding people what is truly important.

Dr. Larson believes that too many couples think their happiness is tied to spending - being able to go out, take romantic trips and buy each other presents.

"I think one of the illusions that couples fall into is that we have to go have a $100 dinner and a nice bottle of wine to have any romance. And that's just not the case," he said. "If most couples think back to the beginning of their relationships, those were [the] happiest times. You were pretty close to broke, but you were having fun."

Couples should try to look at the current financial downturn as a way to reconnect with one another without busting out a credit card, he added.

"Some couples will feel like they can't go on that weekend away, 'we can't go out to dinner, so what are we left with?' " he said. "But they have to reconnect with some of those earlier times."

For those just starting out, having less cash can also be an adjustment. Impressing a date with bottle service or an impromptu getaway may no longer be an option. Dr. Larson said it is important to adjust your expectations when going on a date or beginning a relationship.

And this does not just apply to romantic couplings. People should be aware that their friends may be affected by money issues and should consider financial restraints when making plans.

"I've heard from friends in the last few weeks who used to say, 'Hey, let's go out and have dinner together,' " Dr. Larson said. "Now, they are realizing that they can't do that and have to bow out."

Such changes in plans should not be used as ammunition to start a fight or end a friendship, he said.

"People have their own stuff going on," he said. "Everybody's hurting right now. It's not a personal thing."

With files from The Canadian Press