A Diversity- and Intersectionality-Informed Perspective on Risk Pathways, Psychosocial Aspects, Mechanism and Prevention of Behavioral Addictions

Behavioral addictions are increasingly recognized as major public health concerns. Episodic or persistent excessive maladaptive behaviors such as problematic gambling, gaming, buying-shopping, pornography use, and problematic digital/social media use are characterized by impaired control over behavior and are associated with psychological distress, reduced quality of life, and substantial social and economic costs.Emerging evidence suggests that the prevalence patterns, expression, and impact of these behaviors vary across population groups. Differences have been observed not only in relation to gender, but also across age, socioeconomic position, cultural context, and patterns of digital engagement. However, findings remain heterogeneous and, in some domains, inconsistent.Despite increasing epidemiological and clinical research, key dimensions of diversity are often examined in isolation or treated as secondary variables. As a result, the interplay between social, psychological, and structural factors shaping vulnerability to behavioral addictions remains insufficiently understood.The goal of this research topic is to advance a comprehensive understanding of how diverse individual and contextual factors shape the development, expression, and consequences of behavioral addictions, and to identify implications for prevention from a public health perspective. Rather than focusing solely on single-category comparisons, this research topic adopts a diversity- and intersectionality-informed approach, considering how multiple dimensions, such as gender, age, socioeconomic position, cultural background, and sexual orientation, interact to influence risk pathways and outcomes. Within this framework, gender remains an important but not isolated factor, embedded within broader psychosocial and structural contexts.By bringing together recent epidemiological evidence, experimental and observational studies, qualitative research, and systematic reviews, the topic aims to clarify where evidence for group differences is robust, where findings remain inconsistent, and where substantial knowledge gaps persist. Addressing these gaps is essential to refine etiological models and to inform more inclusive public health strategies.Ultimately, this Research Topic seeks to inform the development of more effective, evidence-based, and inclusive prevention and early intervention strategies, thereby supporting equitable public health responses to behavioral addictions.Suitable themes for manuscripts include, but are not limited to:· Differences in prevalence, incidence, and temporal trends of behavioral addictions across diverse and potentially vulnerable populations and regions (e.g., gender, age, socioeconomic position, cultural context)· Risk pathways and developmental trajectories, including psychological, social, and environmental determinants across diverse and underrepresented population groups· Identification and characterization of underrepresented populations at increased risk for behavioral addictions (e.g., marginalized groups, individuals facing socioeconomic disadvantage, minority stress, or limited access to care)· Underlying mechanisms of group differences, such as emotion regulation, impulsivity, psychiatric comorbidity, stress responsivity, social norms, and structural inequalities· The role of stigma (e.g., public stigma, self-stigma, structural stigma) in shaping help-seeking, access to care, and treatment outcomes in behavioral addictions across diverse populations· Adolescence and emerging adulthood as critical developmental stages, including early onset patterns, developmental trajectories, and diversity-related risk profiles, as well as social, familial, and digital influences· Intersectional perspectives, examining how multiple dimensions (e.g., gender, age, socioeconomic position, cultural context, sexual orientation, gender identity) interact to shape behavioral addictions· Measurement and methodological challenges, including bias in screening instruments, diagnostic criteria, and analytic approaches across diverse populations· Prevention and early intervention strategies, with a focus on inclusive, diversity-informed, and population-based public health approaches· Implications for policy and public health practice, including targeted prevention, health promotion, and service planning for diverse and underrepresented populations Topic editors: Nora M. Laskowski, Georgios Paslakis, Astrid Müller Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79741/a-diversity--and-intersectionality-informed-perspective-on-risk-pathways-psychosocial-aspects-mechanism-and-prevention-of-behavioral-addictions