Loneliness, anxiety, and alcohol use across age and sex: The role of emotional regulation.

Alcohol misuse is frequently linked to emotional factors such as loneliness and anxiety, with individuals often using alcohol as a coping mechanism. Difficulties in emotional regulation may further exacerbate alcohol consumption; however, the pathways connecting loneliness, anxiety, and alcohol use remain unclear. This study examines these relationships across gender and age groups. A total of 302 participants were divided into young adults (n = 164, mean age = 23.13) and older adults (n = 138, mean age = 58.21). Participants completed measures of alcohol use (AUDIT), loneliness (UCLA), trait anxiety (STAI-T), and emotional regulation difficulties (DERS). We employed t-tests, correlations, linear regression, and mediation analyses to identify predictors of alcohol use and assess the mediating role of emotional regulation. Results indicated that loneliness did not directly predict alcohol use overall but had an indirect association with alcohol consumption through emotional regulation, notably among women. In older men, loneliness directly predicted alcohol use, while no significant associations were observed in younger men. Anxiety showed both direct and indirect associations with alcohol use via emotional regulation. Among younger women, anxiety showed significant direct and indirect relationships with alcohol use, suggesting partial mediation; in older women, the association between anxiety and alcohol use was fully mediated by emotional regulation. Notably, anxiety was not significantly associated with alcohol consumption among men. These findings underscore the key role of emotional regulation in mediating the relationships of loneliness and anxiety with alcohol use, with differences by gender and age. They highlight the need for targeted interventions to enhance emotional regulation and reduce hazardous drinking, particularly among women and older adults.