Psychological Distress, Motor Impulsivity and Love Addiction: The Mediating Role of Emotion Dysregulation in a Gender-Invariant Model

Psychol Rep. 2026 Jul 30:332941261473827. doi: 10.1177/00332941261473827. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Psychological distress and motor impulsivity may be key factors associated with love addiction. However, the possible mediating role of specific emotion regulation difficulties in this association needs further research. This study examined the direct and indirect associations of psychological distress and motor impulsivity with love addiction, as well as the potential mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties among a sample of 714 participants (Mage = 26.00, SD = 10.16; 68.2% women). Furthermore, we tested for structural gender invariance. The results indicated that psychological distress and motor impulsivity were directly and positively associated with love addiction. Crucially, they were indirectly associated with love addiction, partially and exclusively, via the lack of emotional control. This mediational pathway was notably stronger for psychological distress than for motor impulsivity. Additionally, multigroup analysis confirmed that the structural model was strictly invariant across genders. These findings suggest that a lack of emotional control partially accounts for the relationship between psychological vulnerabilities and love addiction. This provides empirical evidence that individuals experiencing distress and impulsivity are more likely to report a compulsive reliance on romantic relationships as a maladaptive coping strategy, highlighting the need to target impulse control under emotional duress in clinical settings.

PMID:42533520 | DOI:10.1177/00332941261473827