Profiles of alcohol use disorder, problematic pornography use, and compulsive sexual behavior : the role of mental health, moral disapproval, thought suppression, and self-concealment among Israeli-Arab adolescents

Alcohol use disorder (AUD), compulsive sexual behavior (CSB), and problematic pornography use (PPU) are prevalent disorders among adolescents. Research indicates an increase in the number of adolescents engaging in daily alcohol, porn consumption, and sexual behavior, as well as an increase in the number of adolescents diagnosed with these disorders. The aim of the current study was to detect unique factors of these addictive behaviors with mental health, moral disapproval, thought suppression, and self-concealment and examine whether these factors could explain the different profile severities of AUD, PPU, and CSB among Israeli-Arab adolescents. The sample comprised 622 Israeli-Arab adolescents (64% boys, 36% girls; ages 14-18). First, by using network analysis we found three factors: (i) alcohol use, (ii) CSB, problematic pornography use, and mental health, and (iii) moral disapproval, thought suppression, and self-concealment of pornography and sexual behavior. Second, by using latent profile analysis (LPA) we identified five distinct profiles based on the three detected factors: (i) low alcohol use amidst high CSB and moral disapproval, thought suppression, and self-concealment; (ii) low CSB, pornography, and alcohol use; (iii) average CSB, pornography, and alcohol use; (iv) high CSB, pornography, and alcohol use; and (v) high CSB, pornography, and alcohol use amidst low disapproval, thought suppression, and self-concealment levels. The findings underscore that unique profiles strongly correlate with different addictive behaviors among adolescents. The current research contributes to the field by offering a more personalized approach to comprehending addictive behaviors and culture-related risk factors among Israeli-Arab adolescents.