Emotion regulation strategies and their associations with social and emotional loneliness: A network approach

Loneliness, increasingly recognised as a global public health concern, comprises two related but distinguishable dimensions: emotional (EL) and social loneliness (SL). This study examined how EL and SL relate to cognitive and behavioural emotion regulation strategies, using a network analysis method to explore their affective and regulatory profiles. A cross-sectional sample of 1,215 Polish university students (76.8% female, Mage = 21.64) completed the six-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and the Loneliness-Related Emotion Regulation Scale. Results suggest that EL was strongly associated with maladaptive strategies, including rumination and self-blame, indicating a self-focused and distress-amplifying pattern. In contrast, SL was linked to behavioural withdrawal and reluctance to seek social support, reflecting a disengagement-oriented regulatory profile. Network analysis revealed that EL occupied a more central position than SL, suggesting greater interconnectedness with emotion regulation processes. These findings demonstrate that EL and SL are associated with different emotion regulation mechanisms. Accordingly, interventions should differentiate between the two. For EL, cognitive-behavioural or mindfulness-based therapies targeting maladaptive cognitions may be beneficial. For SL, group interventions or social skills training to rebuild engagement may prove effective.