Love addiction symptoms and subjective cognitive complaints: The mediator role of depression and anxiety and the impact of social media use

Love addiction (LA) can lead to adverse psychological, social, and cognitive consequences. However, the relationship between LA symptoms and perceived cognitive function, as well as the contribution of social media use, remains unclear. The present study aimed to unravel the exact nature of these relationships in a large Italian sample using an online questionnaire. We found that individuals with even mild LA symptoms experienced reduced everyday memory ability and more severe cognitive failures during daily activities and at work, compared to those without LA. Psychological symptoms mediated the effect of LA symptoms on perceived cognitive function, with the use of social media as a strong risk factor for LA development. LA deserves more scientific attention to provide clinicians with a clinical framework and spread awareness of its harmful consequences involving cognitive aspects. Awareness should encourage most at-risk individuals to recognize early LA manifestations and seek professional help for mental health care.