Risk and protective factors for substance use and media addictive behaviors in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: This study examined the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents' substance use, digital media use, and symptoms of internet, gaming, and social media addiction. Method: A nationally representative longitudinal cohort of 1665 Israeli teens and preteens, aged 9–16, completed questionnaires assessing substance use prevalence, daily screen time, symptoms of media addiction, and potential risk and protective factors. Data were collected before the pandemic (October 2019), after the second wave lockdown (November 2020), and after the fifth wave (April 2022) in Israel. Results: The analysis documented significant increases in substance use, daily screen time, and social media addiction indices over time. Gratitude, life satisfaction, positive emotions, future orientation, grit, and secure attachment emerged as significant protective factors. Sensation-seeking, negative emotions, and mental health symptoms were identified as risk factors. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of educational and public mental health services in addressing the pandemic's long-term impact on the mental health and addictive behaviors of adolescents. They also emphasize the significance of enhancing protective factors and reducing risk factors to effectively mitigate substance and digital media abuse among adolescents.