Prevalence of Pathological Gambling among Alcohol Addicts in Outpatient Treatment in the City of Zagreb: a Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Various types of addictions often co-occur, particularly substance and behavioral ones, which affects the clinical course of mental health disorders as well as the efficacy of therapy and rehabilitation efforts. The present study aims to explore gambling activities and possible gambling addiction among alcoholics in an outpatient treatment in the city of Zagreb.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Gambling activities were assessed in 140 members of alcohol addiction clubs in the City of Zagreb (Croatia). Participants were undergoing treatment after being diagnosed by their psychiatrist with alcohol dependence syndrome based on ICD-10 criteria. Intensity of gambling-related problems was measured using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), while intensity of alcohol addiction was assessed using DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder. All instruments were self-report forms and were completed using pen and paper in a group context during outpatient treatment.

RESULTS

Pathological gambling was more prevalent in this clinical subsample than in general populations analysed in other studies. Alcohol addicts showing problematic or pathological gambling behaviors tended to play more highly addictive games (sports betting, slot machines, roulette). However, intensity of gambling-related problems did not correlate significantly with the intensity of alcohol addiction.

CONCLUSION

These results confirm studies from other countries showing higher prevalence of problematic and pathological gambling among alcohol addicts than in the general population. Gambling behavior in our sample more often involved games with greater addictive potential. These findings suggest that alcohol addicts should be systematically screened for problematic and pathological gambling, which may improve therapeutic efficacy and rehabilitation, as well as reduce relapse in addictive behavior in general.

Mladi i ovisnost o internetu – pregled suvremenih spoznaja

Korištenje interneta sastavni je dio života suvremenog čovjeka, te novija istraživanja kontinuirano govore u prilog tome da dio populacije razvija probleme povezane s prekomjernim korištenjem interneta pri čemu su posebnom riziku izloženi djeca i mladi. Ovisnost o internetu, iako još uvijek nije zasebna dijagnostička kategorija, konceptualno pripada bihevioralnim, odnosno ponašajnim, ovisnostima. Poznavanje ovog kompleksnog fenomena izuzetno je važno stručnjacima koji rade s djecom i mladima. Upravo je stoga cilj ovog preglednog rada pružiti sistematičan i sažet pregled inozemne i domaće stručne i znanstvene literature o ovoj temi. U radu se autori usmjeravaju na terminološka pitanja i definiranje problema, procjenu zastupljenosti problema, fenomenologiju te rizične i zaštitne čimbenike ove potencijalne bihevioralne ovisnosti. Suvremene, dominantno inozemne, spoznaje interpretirane su u kontekstu širenja znanstvenih istraživanja i kreiranja preventivnih i tretmanskih intervencija prema mladima, od redovne populacije do onih s već razvijenim problemima povezanim s prekomjernim korištenjem interneta.