Loneliness as a Moderator between Emotional Dysregulation and Love Addiction in a Romanian Sample: Implications for Theory, Practice, and Education

This study aims to examine the link between love addiction, emotional dysregulation, and loneliness in a Romanian sample, as well as to test the moderating role of loneliness in the relationship between emotional dysregulation and love addiction. The present research involved 453 volunteers from Romania, aged between 18 and 56 years (M = 20.82; SD = 3.98). The majority of participants were female (62.5%) and from urban areas (52.5%). Our findings suggest significant positive associations between love addiction, emotional dysregulation, and loneliness. Furthermore, the direct effect of emotional dysregulation on love addiction was moderated by loneliness. Our results highlighted the crucial role of emotional dysregulation and loneliness in the development and maintenance of love addiction. The present study discusses theoretical and practical implications and offers several recommendations for education.