Psychometric properties of the inventory of gambling situations with a focus on gender and age differences

Predicting Gambling Situations: The Roles of Impulsivity, Substance Use, and Post-Traumatic Stress

Gambling disorder and symptoms of post-traumatic stress are highly comorbid. Numerous studies suggest that the presence of one (either disordered gambling or post-traumatic stress) substantially increases the odds of later developing the other. However, little is known about the etiological links between these two domains or the nuances of the comorbidity. Past research has suggested that symptoms of post-traumatic stress might be related to unique motivations for and beliefs about gambling. The present work sought to examine whether or not symptoms of post-traumatic stress might also be related to specific situational vulnerabilities to gambling behaviors. Using a large cross-sectional sample of Internet-using adults in the United States who were primarily recreational gamblers (N = 743; 46% men, M_age = 36.0, SD = 11.1), as well as an inpatient sample of US Armed Forces veterans seeking treatment for gambling disorder (N = 332, 80% men, M_age = 53.5, SD = 11.5), the present work tested whether or not symptoms of post-traumatic stress were uniquely related to a variety of gambling situations. Results in both samples revealed that even when controlling for potentially confounding variables (eg, substance use and trait impulsivity), symptoms of post-traumatic stress were uniquely related to gambling in response to negative affect, gambling in response to social pressure, and gambling due to a need for excitement. These findings are consistent with recent work suggesting that individuals with post-traumatic stress symptoms are more likely to engage in gambling behaviors for unique reasons that differ from gamblers without such symptoms.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Inventory of Gambling Situations: Evaluation of the Factor Structure, Reliability, and External Correlations

The development and evaluation of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Inventory of Gambling Situations (CAMH-IGS) is described. The CAMH-IGS is based on a cognitive-behavioural approach to addiction that sees excessive gambling as a pattern of behaviour which is learned, and which can be changed. The CAMH-IGS is designed to determine the patterns of behaviour, thoughts or feelings which may trigger problematic gambling, with the goal of developing tailored treatment and relapse-prevention approaches for clients. The information can be used in treatment planning. A sample of 524 gamblers that included 323 problem and probable pathological gamblers was used to evaluate the factor structure, reliability, and external correlations of the CAMH-IGS. The results show that the CAMH-IGS consists of 10 internally reliable subscales that can identify individual differences between clients.

Gender differences in psychosocial stress and in its relationship to gambling urges in individuals with pathological gambling

Gender differences in the impact of psychosocial stress and in negative affective states were assessed in a group of pathological gamblers matched by demographic characteristics and by severity of gambling. Women displayed higher impact scores on the Daily Stress Inventory. Other stress measures, obtained with the Profile of Mood States (POMS), were also significantly elevated in the women group. Furthermore, women's gambling urges correlated with both stress and the POMS measure, whereas men's gambling urges correlated with the stress ratings only. These data suggest distinctive determinants of gambling urges in women with pathological gambling vis-a-vis those of men.

The Inventory of Gambling Situations in problem and pathological gamblers seeking alcohol and drug abuse treatment

Identifying situations in which individuals gamble may be important for developing or improving treatments, but few instruments exist for examining high-risk gambling situations. This study evaluated the factor structure of the Inventory of Gambling Situations (IGS), an instrument that assesses situations that may lead to gambling episodes. Individuals seeking alcohol and drug abuse treatment who were identified as problem or pathological gamblers (N = 283) completed the IGS, and principal component analysis revealed a 4-factor solution best fit the data; the factors represented items related to Negative Affect, Positive Affect, Gambling Cues, and Social Situations. Across the whole scale, Cronbach's alpha was 0.97, ranging from 0.83 to 0.96 for the four factors. IGS total scores correlated with other indices of gambling problems, including number of pathological gambling criteria endorsed and frequency and intensity of gambling. Race, education, and severity of psychiatric, drug, and alcohol problems were significantly predictive of some factor scores. Specifically, African Americans were more likely to gamble in response to Negative Affect situations than Caucasians, and education was inversely associated with wagering in response to Gambling Cues. Psychiatric symptoms were predictive of gambling in response to both Positive and Negative Affect situations and Gambling Cues. Severity of drug and alcohol problems were related to gambling in Social Situations. Results from this study indicate that the IGS has good psychometric properties and suggest areas in which intervention efforts may be tailored to prevent or treat gambling problems among individuals seeking substance abuse treatment.

Social support is associated with gambling treatment outcomes in pathological gamblers

Poor social support is a contributory factor in development of addictive disorders, but it has rarely been evaluated in pathological gamblers. This study examined social support in pathological gamblers and its relationship with treatment outcomes. Low baseline social support was associated with increased severity of gambling, family, and psychiatric problems and poorer post-treatment outcomes. Further, social support assessed post-treatment was significantly related to severity of gambling problems at the 12-month follow-up. These findings demonstrate that social support plays an important role in moderating outcomes, and enhancing social support may be an important aspect of effective gambling treatments.