Gambling and the Role of Resilience in an International Online Sample of Current and Ex-serving Military Personnel as Compared to the General Population

Screening and Treatment for Co-occurring Gambling and Substance Use: A Scoping Review

There is a high prevalence of gambling harms co-occurring with substance use harms. Where harms are co-occurring, they may be experienced as more severe. However, there is little evidence that services are systematically screening for such co-occurring harms in treatment-seeking populations. Furthermore, treatment modalities remain relatively under-developed, with treatment usually addressing only one source of harm.This scoping review looks at the current literature on screening and therapeutic interventions for co-occurring gambling and substance use harms to understand how co-occurring harms may be managed in a treatment setting. It draws together available data on the intersections of substance use harms and gambling related harms, in a treatment context.This research identifies a range of potentially useful validated tools for clinicians in substance use treatment settings to screen for gambling harms. For workers in gambling treatment settings who are seeking validated tools to screen for co-occurring substance use harms, the literature provides less guidance.The validated toolbox of therapeutic interventions for those experiencing co-occurring substance use and gambling harms is relatively sparse. Psychosocial interventions appear to offer the best outcomes on gambling measures for those experiencing co-occurring substance use harms. Further research is needed to establish the benefits of different combinations of treatment and treatment types in achieving reductions across both substance use and gambling harms, when these harms are experienced concurrently.

Gambling problems and associated harms in United Kingdom Royal Air Force personnel

International evidence indicates that currently serving and former military personnel may be at heightened vulnerability to problem gambling. The aim of the present study was to undertake the first survey of gambling experience and potential problems among serving United Kingdom Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel. Our objectives were to survey the frequency of gambling problems, types of gambling activities, examine mental health, alcohol use, and COVID-19-related associations with gambling, and identify potential risk factors for problem gambling among RAF personnel. A cross-sectional online survey was distributed to all serving RAF personnel in January 2021 and the final dataset consisted of n = 2119 responses. The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) identified gambling severity, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) assessed depression, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder assessment (GAD-7) measured anxiety, and alcohol use was assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Questions relating to COVID-19 asked whether the pandemic had impacted one's gambling, mental health, and alcohol use. Findings indicated that 12.5% of personnel reported gambling problems, which included 8.0% with PGSI scores indicating low-risk gambling (1-2), 2.9% with moderate-risk gambling scores (3-4), and 1.6% with scores indicating problem gambling (≥8). Most personnel had no symptoms of depression or anxiety, and most experienced lower risk drinking levels. The likelihood of any gambling problem (PGSI ≥ 1) in RAF personnel was associated with age (18-24 years old), male gender, and Non-Commissioned ranks. Most participants reported a deterioration in their mental health due to COVID-19 and increased risky gambling. These findings indicate that gambling problems and associated harms are significant concerns for serving RAF personnel.

Body Image Distress and Its Associations From an International Sample of Men and Women Across the Adult Life Span: Web-Based Survey Study

BACKGROUND

Previous research on body image distress mainly relied on samples that were small, generally homogeneous in age or sex, often limited to one geographical region, and were characterized by a lack of comprehensive analysis of multiple psychosocial domains. The research presented in this paper extends the international literature using the results of the web-based Global Health and Wellbeing Survey 2015. The survey included a large sample of both men and women aged ≥16 years from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States.

OBJECTIVE

The main objectives of this study are to examine body image distress across the adult life span (≥16 years) and sex and assess the association between body image distress and various psychosocial risk and protective factors.

METHODS

Data were extracted from the Global Health and Wellbeing Survey 2015, a web-based international self-report survey with 10,765 respondents, and compared with previous web-based surveys conducted in 2009 and 2012.

RESULTS

The body image distress of young Australians (aged 16-25 years) significantly rose by 33% from 2009 to 2015. In 2015, 75.19% (961/1278) of 16- to 25-year-old adults reported body image distress worldwide, and a decline in body image distress was noted with increasing age. More women reported higher levels of body image distress than men (1953/3338, 58.51% vs 853/2175, 39.22%). Sex, age, current dieting status, perception of weight, psychological distress, alcohol and other substance misuse, and well-being significantly explained 24% of the variance in body image distress in a linear regression (F_15,4966=105.8; P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the significant interplay between body image distress and psychosocial factors across age and sex.

Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors and Their Associations With Transitional Life Events in Men and Women: Findings From an International Web-Based Sample

BACKGROUND

Although numerous studies have demonstrated sex differences in the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB), there is a clear lack of research examining the similarities and differences between men and women in terms of the relationship between STB, transitional life events, and the coping strategies employed after experiencing such events when they are perceived as stressful.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the differences between men's and women's experiences of STB, sociodemographic predictors of STB, and how coping responses after experiencing a stressful transitional life event predict STB.

METHODS

A web-based self-report survey was used to assess the health and well-being of a voluntary community-based sample of men and women aged 16 years and older, living in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, who were recruited using web-based social media promotion and snowballing.

RESULTS

In total, 10,765 eligible web-based respondents participated. Compared with men, a significantly greater proportion of women reported STB (P<.001) and endorsed experiencing a transitional life event as stressful (P<.001). However, there were no gender differences in reporting that the transitional life event or events was stressful for those who also reported STB. Significant sociodemographic adjusted risk factors of STB included younger age; identifying as a sexual minority; lower subjective social connectedness; lower subjective intimate bonds; experiencing a stressful transitional life event in the past 12 months; living alone (women only); not being in employment, education, or training (women only); suddenly or unexpectedly losing a job (men only); and experiencing a relationship breakdown (men only). Protective factors included starting a new job, retiring, having a language background other than English, and becoming a parent for the first time (men only). The results relating to coping after experiencing a self-reported stressful transitional life event in the past 12 months found that regardless of sex, respondents who reported STB compared with those who did not were less likely to engage in activities that promote social connections, such as talking about their feelings (P<.001). Coping strategies significantly explained 19.0% of the STB variance for men (F_16,1027=14.64; P<.001) and 22.0% for women (F_16,1977=36.45; P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This research highlights multiple risk factors for STB, one of which includes experiencing at least one stressful transitional life event in the past 12 months. When individuals are experiencing such events, support from services and the community alike should consider using sex-specific or targeted strategies, as this research indicates that compared with women, more men do nothing when experiencing stress after a transitional life event and may be waiting until they experience STB to engage with their social networks for support.