← Research library · All studies
Psychological and Psychopathological Features of Love Addiction: A Cross-Sectional Study
In recent years, increasing empirical attention has been devoted to Love Addiction, a pattern of obsessive and dependent romantic involvement, although its conceptualization remains debated. Preliminary findings suggested the involvement of emotional, personality, and relational vulnerabilities. Using a bottom-up approach, the present study examined emotional, personality, and relational processes across different levels of Love Addiction to identify the underlying psychological mechanisms and provide a more comprehensive understanding of Love Addiction. The sample consisted of 152 adults (M = 32.6, SD = 11), divided into: non-risk (n = 70), at-risk (n = 53), and clinical (n = 29). Participants completed self-report measures assessing emotional, personality, and relational functioning. Group differences were examined using MANCOVA and follow-up ANCOVAs, controlling for age and gender, with Bonferroni-corrected post hoc comparisons. Emotional dysregulation and impairments in personality functioning characterized both the at-risk and clinical groups, with no significant differences between them. In contrast, relational variables showed a progressive pattern across groups, with the clinical group reporting the highest levels of anxious attachment. Findings support a multidimensional conceptualization of Love Addiction. Clinically, the findings highlight the importance of integrating emotional, personality, and relational functioning in the conceptualization of Love Addiction.
Abstract as published by the authors. Sanatio indexes the published record and links to the source.
Find a clinician in the Sanatio provider directory.