Desperate to connect: Men's dependence on romantic relationship in a competitive mating landscape.

This commentary builds on Wahring et al.'s model of male emotional dependency by integrating mating market dynamics. It argues that men's reliance on romantic partners, combined with competitive pressures and limited emotional networks, creates a volatile psychological landscape. Romantic failure, in this context, can deeply threaten self-worth - fueling distress, behavioral issues, and, in extreme cases, ideological radicalization.