Attachment styles epistemic trust and mentalized affectivity in love addiction among emerging adult women

Background: Love addiction (LA) is a maladaptive pattern of romantic involvement, marked by excessive partner preoccupation, loss of control, and relationship persistence despite negative consequences. While insecure attachment styles, epistemic stances (trust, mistrust, and credulity), and mentalized affectivity (identifying, processing, and expressing emotions) have been independently linked to maladaptive relational patterns, their interplay in LA remains underexplored. Methods: This study examined the relationships between LA, attachment styles, epistemic stances, and mentalized affectivity among 590 Italian emerging adult women. Network analysis was used to assess the structure and interconnections among these variables. Results: Attachment anxiety emerged as the most central node, reinforcing its primary role in LA. Epistemic credulity was strongly associated with LA, bridging attachment anxiety and compulsive relational behaviors. Epistemic mistrust showed a moderate association with LA, indicating a conflicting dynamic of dependency and skepticism. Difficulties in emotional processing and identifying emotions were negatively linked to LA, emphasizing the role of mentalized affectivity. Expressing emotions emerged as a key bridging factor integrating attachment, epistemic stances, and mentalized affectivity. Conclusions: Findings highlight the complex interplay among insecure attachment styles, epistemic stances, and mentalized affectivity in shaping LA risk. Addressing maladaptive epistemic stances and enhancing emotional expression could reduce relational dependency and instability, providing valuable directions for clinical interventions targeting young women.