Dependencia emocional en jóvenes: relación con la sintomatología ansiosa y depresiva, autoestima y diferencias de género

Emotional dependency consists of a pattern of unsatisfied emotional needs that are maladaptively met with other people, which may lead to the onset of dysfunctional psychological symptoms. This study aims to analyse emotional dependency in young people with and without a romantic partner, gender differences in emotional dependency, as well as to assess the relationship between emotional dependency and self-esteem, anxiety and depression. Five-hundred and thirty-five university students aged 18 to 31 years participated in this study. Results showed that emotional dependency was negatively related to self-esteem and positively related to and predictive of anxious-depressive symptoms. No significant differences were found in total emotional dependency as a function of gender or of having a romantic relationship. Nevertheless, higher scores were found in males for 'Need to please', in participants with a partner for 'Need of exclusivity', and in participants without a partner for 'Avoiding being alone'. These results extend our knowledge about emotional dependency and its consequences in young people.