Adolescent alcohol-drinking frequency and problem-gambling severity: adolescent perceptions regarding problem-gambling prevention and parental/adult behaviors and attitudes

Gambling Habits and Attitudes among Athlete and Non-Athlete High School Students in Skåne Region, Sweden

Previous literature has reported increased rates of gambling problems in athletes compared to non-athletes. More liberal gambling-related attitudes have been suggested as a reason, although this rarely has been researched. The present study aimed to examine gambling experience, gambling problems, and gambling-related attitudes and parental gambling experience in high school students, comparing student-athletes to students at conventional schools. This is a cross-sectional web survey study in high school students (N = 473, 53% at sports high schools, 57% male) at eleven schools in the Skåne region, Sweden, who answered a web survey addressed gambling experiences, parental gambling and gambling-related attitudes, and included validated screening instruments for gambling problems and psychological distress. A history of any gambling was common and increased with age. Problem gambling was detected in 10% (13% of males and 5% of females, p < .001), and was associated with paternal and maternal gambling but not with psychological distress. Sports high school students were not more likely (9%) than other students (10%) to endorse gambling problems and history of each gambling type. However, paternal (but not maternal) gambling was more commonly reported in athletes, who also had more positive attitudes to gambling's effects on society and gambling availability. In contrast to other studies, this study did not demonstrate higher prevalence of gambling or gambling problems among young athletes than among other students, but liberal attitudes towards gambling, and experience of parental gambling on the father's side, were more common among athletes than among non-athletes. Gambling attitudes in adolescents may need to be targeted in future preventive efforts in young athletes and others.

Emotional dependence as a predictor of emotional symptoms and substance abuse in individuals with gambling disorder: differential analysis by sex

INTRODUCTION

Emotional dependence, anxious-depressive symptoms and substance use have been associated with gambling disorder (GD). Although anxiety and depression have been predominantly related to female gamblers and substance abuse to male gamblers, the role of emotional dependence in GD is unknown. Moreover, sex differences remain underexplored.

OBJECTIVES

First, to explore possible differences in emotional dependence, anxious-depressive symptoms and substance abuse by group (GD and non-GD) and sex (women vs men). Second, to analyse the predictive role of emotional dependence in alcohol and drug abuse and anxious-depressive symptoms in patients with GD as a function of sex.

METHODS

Instruments to measure gambling (SOGS), emotional dependence (CDE), anxious-depressive symptoms (SCL-90-R) and substance abuse (MULTICAGE CAD-4) were administered to 108 people with GD diagnosis (60 women and 48 men) and 429 without GD (342 women and 87 men).

STUDY DESIGN

The research is an analytical cross-sectional study.

RESULTS

The results showed that the group with GD scored significantly higher than the non-GD group on alcohol abuse, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and emotional dependence, but not on drug abuse. In the group with GD, emotional dependence predicted alcohol and drug abuse in women, and emotional dependence predicted anxiety and depressive symptoms in men.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that women with GD who consume alcohol or drugs would benefit from therapies addressing loneliness, borderline expression, attention-seeking and affective expression. Men with GD who report anxious-depressive symptomatology would benefit from therapeutic strategies to deal with separation anxiety and attention-seeking.

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Problem Gambling in New Mexico

The study of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) has consistently demonstrated a strong relationship with poor behavioral health outcomes. Further research is needed to understand if a specific ACE, or subcategorizations of ACEs, matter more for behavioral health outcomes. A study of the association between ACEs and problem gambling involving a racially mixed sample (13,217 participants) in New Mexico is presented to illustrate how certain ACEs may have a larger impact on behavioral health outcomes. The researchers examined: 1.) the impact that each individual ACE have on participant's reported problem gambling; 2) which group (abuse or household challenges) had a greater odds ratio and marginal impact on participant's self-reported gambling; and 3) which BRFSS subcategories (emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, IPV, substance abuse, mental illness, parental separation or divorce, and incarcerated household member) had a greater odds ratio and marginal impact on participant's self-reported gambling. The results of this study indicate ACEs had a significant influence on problem gambling, and data suggests that when BRFSS data is examined in groups or subcategories there is a difference in the influence that ACEs have on problem gambling. In particular, we found that odds ratio to be significant when participants reported mental health problems in the home (OR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.02, 1.76], p < 0.04), living with incarcerated household members (OR = 1.75, 95% CI [1.28, 2.41], p < 0.001), how often adults hit each other (OR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.10, 1.52], p < 0.001), and how often anyone at least 5 years older than them forced them to have sex (OR = 1.42, 95% CI [1.10, 1.82], p < 0.01) In relation to types of abuse, There was a significant difference in self-reported problem gambling for individuals who reported sexual abuse (OR = 1.64, 95% CI [1.10, 2.46], p < 0.016), as well as participants reporting living with an incarcerated household member (OR = 2.08, 95% CI [1.34, 3.22], p < 0.001); approaching significant results also included individuals who witnessed their parents act violent towards one another (OR = 1.52, 95% CI [.99, 2.33], p < 0.055), and having parents who were separated or divorced (OR = 0.68, 95% CI [0.46, 1.00], p < 0.053). Finally, there was a significant difference in self-reported problem gambling for individuals who reported abuse (OR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.11, 1.66], p < 0.003), while participants reporting household challenges did not quite reach statistical significance (OR = 1.49, 95% CI [0.99, 1.33], p < 0.062. These findings show us that the way we ask questions about the precedence and outcomes of risky behavior matter and warrant further attention.

An Exploratory Study of Shopping to Relieve Tension or Anxiety in Adolescents: Health Correlates and Gambling-Related Perceptions and Behaviors

The desire to escape from pressures/anxiety represents an important motivation for problematic engagement with short-term rewarding behaviors that could contribute to the development of recognized and candidate behavioral addictions, including problematic shopping, a prevalent condition among youth in the U.S.A. characterized by excessive shopping cognitions/behaviors that lead to distress/impairment. However, to date, the specific correlates of shopping to relieve anxiety or tension have yet to be evaluated. We aimed at addressing this gap by analyzing data (N = 2556) from a high-school survey from Connecticut in an exploratory fashion. Adolescents who acknowledged experiencing a growing tension or anxiety that could only be relieved by shopping were classified as having negative-reinforcement shopping and compared to the remaining students. Data were analyzed in chi-square and logistic regression models to examine negative-reinforcement shopping in relation to socio-demographics, health correlates, gambling-related perceptions/attitudes, and problem-gambling severity/gambling behaviors. Negative-reinforcement shopping was more frequent in female and Hispanic students, was linked to more permissive gambling attitudes and at-risk/problematic gambling, and was associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs, dysphoria/depression, and weapon-carrying and physical fighting. Taken together, these findings highlight adverse measures of health and functioning linked to negative-reinforcement shopping that may be particularly relevant to girls and Hispanic youth. Additional efforts to prevent negative outcomes are warranted.

Lottery-Purchasing Adolescents: Gambling Perceptions, Problems, and Characteristics

Gambling on the lottery is a prevalent behavior, and lottery products are increasingly available in online and electronic formats. As lottery-purchasing is prevalent in adolescents, this study systematically examined relationships between lottery-purchasing and problem-gambling severity and gambling perceptions and attitudes, as well as differences in the relationships between problem-gambling severity and measures of health/functioning and gambling characteristics among lottery-purchasing groups. Participants were 1517 Connecticut high-school adolescents with past-year gambling. Chi-square and logistic regression models were conducted, and interactions between problem-gambling severity and lottery-purchasing status on multiple outcomes were determined. Lottery-purchasing, compared to non-lottery-purchasing, adolescents had greater problem-gambling severity and reported more permissive gambling attitudes and greater parental approval of gambling. Significant between-group differences were observed, with at-risk/problem-gambling more strongly associated with having friends and adult gambling partners among non-lottery-purchasing adolescents, and machine and online gambling, and gambling alone more strongly associated among lottery-purchasing adolescents. Greater problem-gambling severity, permissive gambling attitudes, and parental approval of gambling in lottery-purchasing adolescents suggest that parenting contexts are important considerations in prevention efforts targeting problem gambling in youths. Between-group differences in associations between problem-gambling severity and gambling types and partners may identify high-risk groups associated with more solitary gambling behaviors for whom targeted interventions may be adapted.

Casino Gambling in Adolescents: Gambling-Related Attitudes and Behaviors and Health and Functioning Relationships

Recreational and problem gambling have been linked with adverse health and functioning outcomes among adolescents. Youth may gamble and engage in other risk-taking behaviors in casinos. There are limited data available regarding casino gambling in high-school students, and factors linked to adolescent gambling in casinos have yet to be systematically investigated. To address this gap, we analyzed cross-sectional data from 2010 Connecticut high-school students with chi-square tests and logistic regression models to examine casino gambling in relation to at-risk/problem gambling (ARPG) with respect to sociodemographic characteristics, gambling perceptions & attitudes, health/functioning measures and gambling behaviors. Approximately 11 % of adolescents acknowledged gambling in casinos. ARPG was more frequent and gambling perceptions were more permissive among adolescents endorsing casino gambling. Stronger relationships between ARPG and heavy alcohol and drug use and weaker relationships between ARPG and engagement in extracurricular activities, gambling with friends, gambling with strangers and gambling for financial reasons were observed among adolescents endorsing casino gambling. In conclusion, gambling in casinos was endorsed by a sizable minority of adolescents who gamble, and prevention efforts should consider targeting permissive attitudes towards gambling, adolescent drinking and participation in extracurricular activities when addressing underage casino gambling.

Excitement-Seeking Gambling in Adolescents: Health Correlates and Gambling-Related Attitudes and Behaviors

Motivational characteristics such as excitement-seeking are key components of models of addiction, including problem gambling. Previous studies have established associations between excitement-seeking and problem gambling in youth. However, these studies have employed dimensional psychological assessments which are unlikely to be routinely administered. Other approaches to conceptualize excitement-seeking could be of value. In the present study, we employed a single question (What are the reasons that you gamble?) to identify adolescents who reported excitement-seeking motivation for gambling. Cross-sectional data from 2030 adolescent gamblers who participated in a Connecticut high-school survey were examined. Gambling perceptions and correlates of problem-gambling severity were examined relative to excitement-seeking and non-excitement-seeking gambling. Gambling perceptions were more permissive and at-risk/problem gambling was more frequent among adolescents with excitement-seeking gambling versus non-excitement-seeking gambling. A weaker relationship between problem-gambling severity and moderate and heavy alcohol use was observed for excitement-seeking versus non-excitement-seeking gambling. Excitement-seeking gambling is associated with more permissive gambling-related attitudes and riskier gambling behaviors and may account for some variance in adolescent risk of heavy alcohol use. A single question may provide important information for identifying adolescents who are at elevated risk of problem gambling and associated negative outcomes, although the utility of the question in specific settings warrants direct examination, especially given the observed high prevalence of excitement-seeking motivations for gambling.

Gambling, Substance Use and Violence in Male and Female Adolescents

The study systematically examined the link between history of gambling, and substance-use and violence-related measures in male and female adolescents, and compared association differences between genders in representative youth risk behavior surveillance data. An anonymous survey was administered to 2425 9th- to 12th-grade students in the state of Connecticut to assess risk behaviors that impact health. Reported past-12-months gambling was the independent variable of interest. Chi squares and adjusted odds-ratios were computed to determine gambling associations with demographic variables, substance-use, and violence-related measures, and whether associations were different between genders. Among students, 18.6% reported gambling. Reported gambling in males and females associated with lifetime use of any drugs, marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, heroin, methamphetamines, ecstasy, synthetic marijuana, non-medical pain-relievers, and injected drugs, in addition to past-30-days cigarette smoking, alcohol and heavy alcohol drinking, and marijuana use. Gambling associated with reported weapon-carrying, being threatened or injured with a weapon, forced sexual intercourse, bullying, and electronic bullying in males; physical dating violence in females; and physical fighting and sexual dating violence in both groups. Gambling and gender interaction terms did not associate with outcome measures except synthetic marijuana use, which trended towards significance (P = 0.052). Gambling in adolescence was similarly linked to risk behaviors involving substance-use in males and females, though gambling relationships with different violence-measures varied between genders. Assessing gambling behavior may be important for targeted preventions focused on adolescents at risk for substance-use disorder and physical violence.

A Research Domain Criteria Approach to Gambling Disorder and Behavioral Addictions: Decision-Making, Response Inhibition, and the Role of Cannabidiol

Gambling Disorder (GD) has been recently re-classified in the DSM-5 under the "substance-related and addictive disorders," in light of its genetic, endophenotypic, and phenotypic resemblances to substance dependence. Diminished control is a core defining concept of psychoactive substance dependence or addiction and has given rise to the concept of "behavioral" addictions, which are syndromes analogous to substance addiction, but with a behavioral focus other than ingestion of a psychoactive substance. The main symptom clusters are represented by loss of control, craving/withdrawal, and neglect of other areas of life, whereas in a Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) perspective, GD patients exhibit deficits in the domain of "Positive valence systems," particularly in the "Approach motivation" and "Reward learning" constructs, as well as in the "Cognitive systems," primarily in the "Cognitive control" construct. In the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA), three relevant domains for addictions emerge: "Incentive salience," "Negative Emotionality," and "Executive Function." The endocannabinoid system (ECS) may largely modulate these circuits, presenting a promising pharmaceutical avenue for treating addictions. Up to now, research on cannabidiol has shown some efficacy in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), whereas in behavioral addictions its role has not been fully elucidated, as well as its precise action on RDoC domains. Herein, we review available evidence on RDoC domains affected in GD and behavioral addictions and summarize insights on the use of cannabidiol in those disorders and its potential mechanisms of action on reward, decisional, and sensorimotor processes.

Chasing the desire: An investigation on the role of craving, time perspective, and alcohol use in adolescent gambling

Chasing, or continuing to gamble to recoup losses, is a behavioral marker and a diagnostic criterion for gambling disorder. Research on chasing has focused mainly on adults, whereas the analysis of chasing behavior among adolescents has not received empirical attention in the gambling literature. The aim of the present study was to first investigate the interplay between chasing behavior, craving, temporal perspective, alcohol use, and gambling severity among Italian adolescents. Three hundred and sixty-four adolescents took part in the study. Participants completed the South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA), the Gambling Craving Scale (GACS), the 14-item Consideration of Future Consequences scale (CFC-14), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and performed a computerized task assessing chasing behavior. Participants were randomly assigned to the control and the loss condition of the computerized task. Results indicated that the choice to continue playing, as well as chasing frequency did not vary as a function of experimental condition. Hierarchical logistic and linear regression analyses revealed that the decision to chase depended mostly on craving, whereas chasing propensity was affected by craving and alcohol misuse. Notably, gambling severity did not predict either the decision to chase, or the chasing persistence. The present study contributes important findings to the gambling literature, highlighting the role of craving alcohol use in facilitating the inability to stop within-sessions gambling among adolescents. These findings may provide evidence that nonchasers and chasers represent two different types of gamblers, and that the difference may be useful for targeting more effective therapies.

Prevalence and Correlates of Alcohol Consumption among Hill-Tribe Adolescents below the Legal Drinking Age-A Community-based Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Thailand

Alcohol drinking has been prevalent among various hill tribes of northern Thailand due to their distinctively different lifestyles, traditions, cultures and beliefs than the general Thai population; the majority of these traditions involve annual rounds of customary rituals that make alcohol abundantly accessible to all age groups. To study the prevalence and predictors of alcohol use, a community-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2017-September 2018 among 480 sampled adolescents aged 12 through 18 years drawn by stratified random sampling. A proprietary questionnaire developed by the researchers was used to collect the data which were analyzed using binary logistic regression. The prevalence of alcohol use in the previous 30 days was 46.7%. Drinking predictors were: having at least a drinking parent, drinking peers, ever been sent to buy alcohol, smoking, cordial relationship with peers, gambling, family violence experience, stress and leisure time company. Therefore, our results suggest that prevention interventions should be designed with a focus on discouraging parents from sending children to buy alcohol and drinking or smoking in their presence; to reduce both social and commercial access to alcohol, age limits should be imposed on alcohol intake at all ceremonious events, while strictly reinforcing the law that prohibits selling alcohol to minors.

Traumatic brain injuries and problem gambling in youth: Evidence from a population-based study of secondary students in Ontario, Canada

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is characterized by a change in brain function after an external force or sudden movement to the head. TBI is associated with risk-taking, impulsivity, psychological distress, substance abuse, and violent crime. Previous studies have also linked problem gambling to TBI, but these studies have not controlled for possible confounding variables such as mental health problems and hazardous drinking which are also linked to TBI. This study examines the relationship between problem gambling and TBI among adolescents. Data were obtained from the 2011, 2013 and 2015 cycles of the OSDUHS, a biennial cross-sectional school-based study of children in grades 7 to 12 (N = 9,198). Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) in controlled and uncontrolled analyses. Adjusting for sex and grade only, problem gambling was associated with a history of TBI (AOR = 2.8). This association remained significant after adjusting for hazardous drinking and suicidality (AOR = 2.0). In addition, problem gambling had a statistically significant relationship with being male (AOR = 4.7), hazardous drinking (AOR = 4.5), and suicidality (AOR = 3.1). This study provides further data to suggest a link between TBI and problem gambling. However, research is needed on the causal relationship between these variables and the potential implications for treatment and prevention.

Self-injurious behavior and gambling-related attitudes, perceptions and behaviors in adolescents

Gambling is prevalent among adolescents and adolescents are vulnerable to experiencing gambling-related problems. Although problem gambling and suicidal behavior have been linked in adults and self-injurious behaviors may predict future suicidality, prior studies have not investigated relationships between problem-gambling severity and self-injurious behavior in adolescents. Data from 2234 Connecticut high-school students were analyzed in chi-square tests and logistic regression models to examine self-injurious behaviors in relation to at-risk/problem gambling with respect to sociodemographic characteristics, gambling attitudes and perceptions, and extracurricular and health measures. Individuals who engaged in self-injurious behavior (versus those who did not) reported more permissive views towards gambling and were more likely to exhibit at-risk/problem gambling. Stronger relationships between problem-gambling severity and gambling in casinos (OR 4.85, 95%CI 1.94, 12.12) and non-strategic gambling (1.92, 95%CI 1.01, 3.66) were observed in adolescents who acknowledged engagement in self-injurious behavior versus those who did not. Links between self-injurious behaviors and more permissive gambling attitudes and perceptions and at-risk/problem gambling suggest the need for improved interventions targeting co-occurring self-injurious behaviors and gambling. Stronger relationships between problem-gambling severity and casino and non-strategic gambling among adolescents with self-injurious behaviors suggest adolescents with self-injurious behavior may engage in specific forms of gambling as maladaptive coping strategies to alleviate suffering. Prevention and treatment approaches targeting distress management and improving adaptive coping skills may be important for targeting self-injurious behaviors in adolescents with at-risk/problem gambling.

Facilitated attention for gambling cues in adolescent problem gamblers: An experimental study

BACKGROUND

Studies investigating attentional biases in gambling have observed that problem gamblers' attention is biased toward gambling cues. Despite the increase of gambling among adolescents, to date, no study has ever examined the role of attentional bias in adolescent gambling, as well as the relationships between adolescent gambling severity, craving, and alcohol use.

METHODS

The present study comprised 87 adolescent participants. Based on South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA) scores, participants were assigned to non-problem or problem gamblers groups. Participants performed a modified Posner Task (with cue presentation times at 100 and 500 ms) to assess attentional biases. Following the experiment, participants completed the Gambling Craving Scale (GACS) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).

RESULTS

Compared to non-problem gamblers, problem gamblers displayed facilitation bias for gambling cues at 500 ms and reported higher levels of craving and alcohol consumption. Results also indicated that alcohol use correlated with facilitation bias.

LIMITATIONS

The recruitment of a predominantly male sample and the use of an indirect measure of attentional bias may have affected the findings concerning attentional processes.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study provides the first empirical evidence of attentional processes in adolescent gambling, and confirms the role of attentional biases, craving, and alcohol use being associated factors in adolescent problem gambling. The results of the present study stress the importance of attentional biases in the initial stages of problem gambling and suggest the need for clinical interventions aimed at reducing attentional bias before they became automatic. Overall, the present study stressed the role of attentional bias as both facilitator and a consequence of gambling involvement.

Gambling among Swedish youth: Predictors and prevalence among 15- and 17-year-old students

Background:

Gambling among adolescents is a growing public health concern in Sweden as in many other countries. Excessive gambling has been found to be associated with a wide range of negative consequences such as financial problems, strained relationships, criminal behaviour, depression, and an elevated risk for suicide. Research suggests a link between alcohol consumption and gambling, particularly among male gamblers. There are nevertheless gaps in the available knowledge pertaining to school-aged students in Sweden.

Aim:

The purpose of this study is to investigate predictors of gambling and frequent gambling among Swedish students in Grade 9 and Grade 11 (ages 15 and 17 years).

Data and method:

Data on gambling and alcohol consumption were obtained from the Swedish Council on Information and Other Drugs yearly school surveys (n = 4763) in Grade 9 and Grade 11 (n = 3720). Poisson regression models have been applied to estimate the association between less frequent and frequent gambling with the predictors of gender, family and school satisfaction, school situation, and alcohol and drug use.

Results:

Gambling among Swedish students is a highly gendered activity: boys gamble more and more frequently than girls. Having consumed alcohol was associated with both less frequent and more frequent gambling among Grade 9 students while controlling for other variables. In Grade 9, heavy episodic drinking was only associated with less frequent gambling, not with frequent gambling. Among Grade 11 students, both alcohol consumption and heavy episodic drinking was associated with less frequent gambling but heavy episodic drinking was only associated with frequent gambling. Moreover, drug use was associated with less frequent gambling in Grade 11. Skipping classes was the only school factor that was found to be associated with less frequent gambling (Grade 11). Such factors as family satisfaction and two measurements of economic situation were not associated with gambling at all.

Gambling disorder in adolescents: what do we know about this social problem and its consequences?

Gambling disorder (GD) is a psychiatric condition and it is characterized by a maladaptive pattern of gambling behavior that persists despite negative consequences in major areas of life functioning. In Italy, CNR (National Research Council) underlined how over 17 million, 42.8% of the population aged 15-64 have a gambling behavior. Among them, there are over one million students, aged 15-19, equal to 44.2% of Italian students; the number of minors in Italy with GD in 2017 was 580,000, equal to 33.6%. Various psychosocial treatment models have been adapted for GD; on the other hand no drug has received regulatory approval in any jurisdiction as a specific psychopharmacological treatment for GD. Family therapy interventions for treatment of substance abuse problems have been adapted for adolescents GD. Given the increasing overall prevalence of adolescent gambling, it is imperative that Pediatricians appreciate that gambling problems can also afflict adolescents. In conclusion underage gambling appears to be associated positively with alcohol, tobacco and other substance use, as well as with other individual behaviors, therefore we need that collaborative efforts between scientific societies, government and stake holders can influence the uptake of research findings necessary to implement social policies and design effective public health intervention options. Educational-based problem gambling prevention programs are important avenues in targeting at-risk behaviors among adolescents to prevent an escalation of problematic behaviors into adulthood.

Tempting fate: Chasing and maladaptive personality traits in gambling behavior

Chasing, or continuing to gamble in an attempt to recoup losses, is a salient feature of problematic gambling. This study, which controlled for gambling severity and alcohol consumption, investigated the association between chasing and maladaptive personality trait domains among habitual gamblers. Participants comprised 126 adult habitual gamblers (73% males) aged between 18 and 69 years. They were administered the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form (PID-5-BF), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and a computerized task developed to assess chasing behavior. Participants were randomly assigned to two chasing conditions (Control and Loss). Data were submitted to correlational analysis, univariate and mixed-model ANOVAs, logistic and linear regression analyses. Results showed that the decision to chase was strongly associated with the PID-5-BF Disinhibition domain scores, whereas chasing proneness was related to the Disinhibition, Detachment and Psychoticism domains. Interestingly, chasers scored higher than nonchasers on maladaptive personality dimensions, even after controlling for gender, age, chasing condition, alcohol consumption, and gambling severity. Since these findings support the idea that chasers and nonchasers are different subtypes of gamblers, clinical interventions should take into account the additive role of chasing in gambling disorder.

Relationships Between Perceived Family Gambling and Peer Gambling and Adolescent Problem Gambling and Binge-Drinking

The study systematically examined the relative relationships between perceived family and peer gambling and adolescent at-risk/problem gambling and binge-drinking. It also determined the likelihood of at-risk/problem gambling and binge-drinking as a function of the number of different social groups with perceived gambling. A multi-site high-school survey assessed gambling, alcohol use, presence of perceived excessive peer gambling (peer excess-PE), and family gambling prompting concern (family concern-FC) in 2750 high-school students. Adolescents were separately stratified into: (1) low-risk, at-risk, and problem/pathological gambling groups; and, (2) non-binge-drinking, low-frequency-binge-drinking, and high-frequency-binge-drinking groups. Multinomial logistic regression showed that relative to each other, FC and PE were associated with greater likelihoods of at-risk and problem/pathological gambling. However, only FC was associated with binge-drinking. Logistic regression revealed that adolescents who endorsed either FC or PE alone, compared to no endorsement, were more likely to have at-risk and problem/pathological gambling, relative to low-risk gambling. Adolescents who endorsed both FC and PE, compared to PE alone, were more likely to have problem/pathological gambling relative to low-risk and at-risk gambling. Relative to non-binge-drinking adolescents, those who endorsed both FC and PE were more likely to have low- and high-frequency-binge-drinking compared to FC alone or PE alone, respectively. Family and peer gambling individually contribute to adolescent at-risk/problem gambling and binge-drinking. Strategies that target adolescents as well as their closely affiliated family and peer members may be an important step towards prevention of harm-associated levels of gambling and alcohol use in youths.

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This study describes the initial gambling experiences of teenagers who have developed problem gambling habits with regard to: a) the nature of the gambling activities, b) the significance of the first experience in terms of the benefits and attractive aspects of gambling, and c) the progression toward the development of problematic behaviours. The research design draws on secondary analysis of data from semi-structured interviews carried out with 31 adolescents with problem gambling behaviours in treatment for the consumption of psychoactive substances (PS). An analysis of the teenagers' responses reveals the existence of material, emotive and social benefits associated with their first gambling experience and the exacerbation of their behaviours. The results were analysed in light of the teenagers' social context: popularity of certain games, importance of performance, wealth and the pursuit of pleasure.

Correlates of gambling on high-school grounds

OBJECTIVE

This study examined adolescent gambling on school grounds (GS+) and how such behavior was associated with gambling-related attitudes. Further, we examined whether GS+ moderated associations between at-risk problem-gambling (ARPG) and gambling behaviors related to gambling partners.

METHOD

Participants were 1988 high-school students who completed survey materials. Demographic, perceptions, attitudes, and gambling variables were stratified by problem-gambling severity (ARPG versus recreational gambling) and GS+ status. Chi-square and adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine relationships among study variables.

RESULTS

Nearly 40% (39.58%) of students reported past-year GS+, with 12.91% of GS+ students, relative to 2.63% of those who did not report gambling on school grounds (GS-), meeting DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling (p<0.0001). In comparison to GS- students, GS+ students were more likely to report poorer academic achievement and more permissive attitudes towards gambling behaviors. Weaker links in GS+ students, in comparison with GS-, students, were observed between problem-gambling severity and gambling with family members (interaction odds ratio (IOR)=0.60; 95% CI=0.39-0.92) and gambling with friends (IOR=0.21; 95% CI=0.11-0.39).

CONCLUSIONS

GS+ is common and associated with pathological gambling and more permissive attitudes towards gambling. The finding that GS+ (relative to GS-) youth show differences in how problem-gambling is related to gambling partners (friends and family) warrants further investigation regarding whether and how peer and familial interactions might be improved to diminish youth problem-gambling severity. The high frequency of GS+ and its relationship with ARPG highlights a need for school administrators and personnel to consider interventions that target school-based gambling.

[Play behavior in people with various degrees of pathological gambling risk]

OBJECTIVE

We studied play behavior of customers of betting offices.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A study included 216 people who were surveyed using the Canadian problem gambling index. According to the results of the test, we stratified the sample by the risk of pathological gambling.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The high prevalence of people with medium and high risk of pathological gambling was identified. Significant differences in the characteristics of gambling behavior were found. We described the qualitative and quantitative indicators of gaming activity that proved the appearance of the addicted dominant in the high-risk group (changes in the motivational sphere, financial loss, using alternative forms of the game, the regular play activity and low level of the reflection of problems caused by the game).