The relationship between universal human values and adolescent problem and pathological gambling

The Role of Personal Values in Gambling: A Preliminary Study with Italian Adolescents

Values have been defined as trans-situational goals that serve as guiding principles in people's life to select modes, means, and actions. Despite values being relevant predictors of behaviors, their role in shaping adolescents' gambling ones has been under investigated. Specifically, the present study aimed at exploring whether and which values may be protective or risk factors for gambling behaviors, this also considering gender differences. Respondents were 237 adolescents (aged from 14 to 19; 58.2% female), recruited from three Italian high schools, who were asked to fill in a self-report and anonymous online questionnaire investigating their values and gambling behaviors. Specifically, the Portrait Values Questionnaire and the South Oaks Gambling Screen: Revised for Adolescents were used. Results showed that males were keener to adopt more frequently gambling behaviors, this also being more problematic, compared to their female counterparts. Despite conservation and openness to change values seem not to influence gambling behaviors, self-transcendence and self-enhancement values respectively negatively and positively predict gambling problems. More interestingly, self-transcendence values seem to work better as protective factors toward the severity of this risk behavior especially for the male subsample. Implications for preventive and promotional interventions with adolescents are discussed.

Religiosity and Chance Beliefs in Persons with DSM-IV Pathological Gambling Enrolled in a Longitudinal Follow-Up Study

This study investigates the association of public, private and intrinsic religiosity and chance beliefs (superstition, illusion of control) with gambling behavior in a longitudinal follow-up study of younger and older adult subjects with DSM-IV pathological gambling (PG) and an older adult comparison group without PG. One-hundred sixty-three subjects were enrolled including 60 younger adults with PG (≥ 18/< 40 years), 53 older adults with PG (≥ 60 years), and 50 older adults without PG (≥ 60). Subjects were assessed at baseline and every 6 months thereafter. The Duke University Religion Index for Religious Assessment and the Drake Beliefs About Chance scales were administered at baseline. Follow-up was a mean (SD) of 2.6 (1.4) years. Older adults with PG scored lower on measures of public and intrinsic aspects of religiosity than older adults without PG, and scored higher on superstition and illusion of control. Older adults with PG also scored higher than younger adults with PG on private and intrinsic religiosity, but not public religiosity. Superstition predicted intrinsic, but not other aspects of religiosity. Importantly, during follow-up, higher levels of public and intrinsic religiosity were protective against problematic (levels 2, 3) gambling; were protective against chronic PG; and were predictive of PG remission status. Lower illusion of control ratings were protective against problematic gambling and chronic PG; lower superstition ratings were predictive of remission. We conclude that higher levels of public and intrinsic religiosity and lower levels of chance beliefs are associated with a more benign PG course.

The General Relationship Between Universal Human Values and Adolescents' Problem/Pathological Gambling in Macao: A Parsimonious, Quantitative Model

This study modeled the general relationship between individual Macao adolescents' universal human values, measured by the Schwartz Values Inventory, and their problem/pathological gambling, indicated by the South Oaks Gambling Screen, using parsimonious, quantitative structural equation modeling. Data were collected through 471 questionnaires (261 females and 210 males) in 2010. Of the 10 value types in the Schwartz Values Inventory and derived value subtypes, only the human value subtype "nonfaith tradition" was found to be (negatively) related to problem/pathological gambling in the model. The corresponding factor loading was -0.07 (p = .015). This study was supported by the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Government of Macao.

Gambling problems in young people: experience from the Asian region

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To introduce the existing research conducted into gambling problems among young people in the Asian region.

RECENT FINDINGS

The prevalence rates of gambling-related problems of young people ranged from 32 to 60% for participation, from 1.5 to 5.0% for problem gambling and from 0.07 to 2.66% for pathological gambling in Asia; social gambling and lottery were the most popular gambling types. Psychiatric comorbidity is common among pathological gamblers, but the causal mechanisms are unclear. The psychological theories on youth gambling in Asia included diathesis, motivation, stress, coping, cognitive and positive youth development. The Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmers has been developed; this aims to intervene and help those young people experiencing gambling problems in Hong Kong.

SUMMARY

Published gambling studies on young people in Asia are limited and have different definitions, research tools and diagnostic criteria. Therefore, the results vary and are incomparable. More work needs to be done in the near future, on comorbidity mechanisms, the neuropsychological and neurobiological mechanisms of youth gambling and, importantly, an increase in early intervention programmes.