A Network Analysis of Addictive Behaviors: Risk and Protective Factors Among Israeli Youth in a Cross-Sectional Study

Although many youths engage in potentially addictive behaviors without lasting harm, some develop substance use disorders (SUD), behavioral addictions, or both, which pose significant psychological and social risks. This study employed network-analysis to investigate the interrelations among risk and protective factors in three groups of Israeli youths (12–18 years): those with behavioral addictions (n = 4209), those with both behavioral and substance use addictions (n = 1004), and those without any addiction (n = 779), drawn from a community sample of 6849 participants. Youths without addictions reported the highest levels of protective characteristics and the lowest risk profiles, whereas those with both forms of addiction exhibited the most severe risk patterns. The network structures differed substantially between groups, with dual-addiction youth displaying the most fragmented and dysregulated configurations. These results reveal distinct psychological and social dynamics across addiction profiles and underscore the importance of targeted, group-specific interventions addressing impulsivity and relational vulnerabilities.