Behavioural Addiction among Youths: Patterns and Innovative strategies for Prevention

ISSUP Nigeria would like to invite you to the 34th session of its bi-monthly webinar in the Knowledge Update Series. This webinar will focus on the topic 'Behavioural Addiction among Youths: Patterns and Innovative strategies for Prevention'.

Date: 28th July 2026

Time: 3:00 PM WAT | 3:00 PM London | 10 AM ET

Register for the Webinar

Behavioural addictions among youths have escalated significantly with the rise of digital technologies, shifting from traditional substance-based dependencies to compulsive, non-substance-related behaviours. These conditions are characterized by a persistent inability to stop a behaviour despite its harmful psychological, social, or academic consequences. Driven by the brain's mesolimbic dopamine pathway, these behaviours offer immediate gratification or stress relief, making vulnerable youths highly susceptible.

Creative activities may provide opportunities for emotional expression and the development of adaptive coping strategies.

Creative arts approaches may complement traditional therapeutic interventions by offering additional avenues for emotional expression.

Discussion Topics:

• Behavioural Addiction Among Students: The Campus Experience (by Wusu Senami Abosede). -Campus life comes with freedom, pressure, and a whole lot of firsts. But for many students, that freedom quietly spirals into compulsive habits, endless scrolling, gambling, gaming, and more. This session unpacks how behavioural addiction shows up on campus, why students are especially vulnerable, and before problematic behaviours become more established.

• Creative Expression: Breaking the Cycle of Behavioural Addiction Among the Youth (by Abdulmalik Yahya) - This session explores how creative expression serves as both a prevention tool and a healing pathway, helping young people process emotion, build identity, and find healthier highs than addictive behaviour can offer

Target Audience:

• Public health professionals, addiction counsellors, healthcare providers, policymakers, young people, anyone working in substance use care settings and ISSUP members. 

Learning Outcomes:

Following this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Define behavioural addiction and explain how it differs from substance-related addiction.

2. Identify common forms among students, including social media, smartphones, online gaming, sports betting, and excessive streaming.

3. Explain key risk factors, such as stress, peer influence, loneliness, easy technology access, and social validation.

4. Recognize warning signs and consequences for students’ academic, psychological, social, and financial well-being.

5. Discuss prevention and recovery strategies, including creative tools such as art, music, drama, and writing.

Presenter:

Wusu Senami Abosede

Wusu Senami Abosede is a psychology graduate from Lagos State University (LASU) with a keen interest in mental health, adolescent development, and behavioural well-being. She is a mental health advocate, researcher, and the former President of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), LASU Chapter.

In this role, she led advocacy initiatives, awareness campaigns, and community-based interventions aimed at preventing substance abuse and promoting healthier lifestyles among young people. Her research interests include mental health, adolescence, conduct disorders, emotional intelligence, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and psychological well-being. She has been actively involved in coordinating sensitization programs, outreach activities, and educational engagements focused on tackling mental health and behavioural challenges within schools and communities.

Additionally, Senami is the Founder of FITILA, a mental health initiative dedicated to promoting mental health education and awareness through indigenous languages. This initiative aims to make mental health knowledge more accessible, relatable, and culturally relevant. Through her research, advocacy, and community engagement, she is committed to advancing mental health awareness, fostering resilience, and empowering young people to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

 Abdulmalik Yahya

Abdulmalik Yahya is a Nigerian author, poet, social entrepreneur, behavioural coach, peace ambassador, and UN SDGs advocate with over 8 years of experience in advocacy and community development. He is the founder and elected president of Sahel Scribes Poetry Club, where he mentors emerging poets in Northern Nigeria to promote healing and advocacy through literary creativity.

His achievements include the ANA Abuja Prof. Udenta O. Udenta Performance Prize, recognition as a two-time 2024 ANA Abuja Poet of the Week, and an Outstanding Leadership Awardees by the Not Too Young To Lead Initiative. His published works include the poetry collection Breaking Addiction: Of Days Away and Nigerian Youth:

A Beating Heart. Abdulmalik currently works at Connected Development and has worked with UNICEF, WHO, SOS Children's Villages, The Brief Academy, and SAHEI Gender Development Initiative. He is the State General Secretary of YALI Network Abuja, Exchange & Special Task Coordinator of ANA Abuja Chapter, a fellow of the EBEDI International Writers Residency, a member of UNESCO Nigeria Youth Network, and an active member of the Amnesty International Academy.

Moderators:

Dr. Olajumoke Koyeojo
Director, ISSUP Nigeria Chapter 

Ejikeme M. Ogueji
Head, Editorial and Webinar Team, ISSUP Nigeria Chapter

References:

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR). American Psychiatric Association Publishing. The DSM-5-TR recognizes gambling disorder as a behavioural addiction and discusses Internet Gaming Disorder as a condition requiring further research.

2. Brand, M., Antons, S., Bőthe, B., Demetrovics, Z., Fineberg, N. A., Jimenez-Murcia, S., King, D. L., Mestre-Bach, G., Moretta, T., Müller, A., Wegmann, E., & Potenza, M. N. (2025). Current advances in behavioural addictions: From fundamental research to clinical practice. American Journal of Psychiatry, 182(2). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.20240092

3. Farhat, L. C., Derevensky, J., & Potenza, M. N. (2019). Behavioural addictions: Gambling disorder and internet gaming disorder. In Clinical Manual of Youth Addictive Disorders (pp. 501–518). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

4. Grant, J. E., Potenza, M. N., Weinstein, A., & Gorelick, D. A. (2010). Introduction to behavioural addictions. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse , 36(5), 233–241.

5. Griffiths, M. D. (2005). A components model of addiction within a biopsychosocial framework. Journal of Substance Use, 10(4), 191–197.

Webinars and online events delivered and hosted by the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) are provided for informational purposes only. They are educational in nature and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment .