The Roles of Alcohol Use and Sleep Quality on the Relationship between Fear of Missing out and Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant societal problem with many associated consequences. One unidentified risk factor for IPV perpetration may be the fear of missing out (FOMO) or the specific anxiety resulting from perceived exclusion from socially rewarding experiences. FOMO may threaten needs related to belonging, foster a hostile cognitive bias, and increase one’s proclivity toward violence. FOMO was consistently related to alcohol use and consequences among undergraduate students. The current study replicated and extended past findings by examining bivariate associations between FOMO, alcohol use, and IPV as well as a hypothesized mediation model in which FOMO positively associated with IPV through alcohol use. Additionally, sleep impairment may enhance the myopic effects of alcohol use on IPV, increasing the likelihood for instigation while decreasing inhibition. Therefore, I hypothesized that sleep quality would moderate the relationship between alcohol use and IPV. Analyses of a cross-sectional sample of 585 undergraduate students showed a positive association between FOMO, psychological IPV, and alcohol use. Further, FOMO positively associated with psychological and physical IPV through alcohol use. However, findings did not support the hypothesis that clinical sleep impairment would moderate the path from alcohol use to IPV. This study is the first to delineate the relationship between FOMO and IPV and holds implications for alcohol use and IPV interventions on college campuses. Future research should develop temporal models (e.g., daily diaries) of these constructs in an effort to better inform prevention and intervention efforts.