Problem gambling, gambling correlates and health seeking attitudes in a Chinese sample: An empirical evaluation.

There is an increasing consensus that problem gambling (PG) is a serious social issue among the Chinese, but little is known of the factors associated with PG among the Chinese using validated and improved PG measure-ments. This study examined the patterns of PG and the PG predictive ability of variables such as gam-bling-related cognitions, gambling urge, depression, anxiety, stress, and help-seeking attitudes among Chinese individuals living in Taiwan. The participants consisted of 801 Taiwanese Chinese student and community indi-viduals (Mean age = 25.36 years). The prevalence of PG (Problem Gambling Severity Index; PGSI) and patho-logical gambling (South Oaks Gambling Screen; SOGS) are higher in this Taiwanese Chinese sample as com-pared with past prevalence research. Significant differences were found between PGSI groups (i.e., non-PG, low-risk, moderate-risk, and PG) in socio-demographic variables. Erroneous gambling-related cognitions and overall negative psychological states significantly predicted PG. In addition, interaction effects of gender, mediation effects, and the predictive ability of help-seeking attitudes were discussed. The findings of this study have important implications in the understanding of PG among the Chinese. Gambling-related cognitions and negative psychological states are important factors that should be addressed in intervention programs

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Gambling participation and policies in Malaysia

Abstract Regulatory policies for responsible gambling practices in Asia are constantly evolving as the gambling industry and technological landscape change over time. Malaysia makes an interesting case study for a commentary on gambling participation and policies, as this country has a unique dual justice system with religious and ethnic diversity that may impact on the way in which gambling activities are regulated. This regulatory ecosystem has important consequences on behaviour change, treatment approaches and recovery processes involved in gambling disorder. This commentary will discuss evidence for Malaysian gambling antecedents, public policy and socioeconomic impacts of gambling, possible costs and benefits of gambling legalization, and issues pertinent to regulating gambling activities in Malaysia

Psychometric evaluation of the Problem Gambling Severity Index-Chinese Version (PGSI-C)

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese 9-item Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) derived from the 31-item Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI) originally developed by Ferris and Wynne (2001). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n\ua0=\ua0386; Group A data) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n\ua0=\ua0387; Group B data) on the Chinese student and community data (Mean age\ua0=\ua025.36\ua0years) showed that a unifactorial model fitted the data with good reliability score (Cronbach's alpha\ua0=\ua00.77). The concurrent validity of the PGSI-C was good in terms of the Chinese data matching the expected correlation between PGSI-C and other variables or scales such as SOGS, gambling frequency, gambling urge, gambling cognitions, depression, anxiety, and stress. The scale also reported good discriminant and predictive validity. In sum, the PGSI-C has good psychometric properties and can be used among Chinese communities to identify at-risk problem gamblers. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed

Gambling among the Chinese: A comprehensive review

Despite being a significant issue, there has been a lack of systematic reviews on gambling and problem gambling (PG) among the Chinese. Thus, this paper attempts to fill this theoretical gap. A literature search of social sciences databases (from 1840 to now) yielded 25 articles with a total sample of 12,848 Chinese community participants and 3397 clinical participants. The major findings were: (1) Social gambling is widespread among Chinese communities as it is a preferred form of entertainment. (2) Prevalence estimates for PG have increased over the years and currently ranged from 2.5% to 4.0%. (3) Chinese problem gamblers consistently have difficulty admitting their issue and seeking professional help for fear of losing respect. (4) Theories, assessments, and interventions developed in the West are currently used to explain and treat PG among the Chinese. There is an urgent need for theory-based interventions specifically tailored for Chinese problem gamblers. (5) Cultural differences exist in patterns of gambling when compared with Western samples; however, evidence is inconsistent. Methodological considerations in this area of research are highlighted and suggestions for further investigation are also included. (6) Much of gambling research has focused on identifying risk factors and at-risk individuals. It is essential to balance this knowledge with a focus on fundamental character strengths, which act as protective factors and motivate one to refrain from gambling

The validity of an integrated cognitive behavioural model of gambling behaviour with a Chinese sample

This study introduced the combination of positive and negative factors in predicting problem gambling (PG) with the adaptation of Sharpe's biopsychosocial model of gambling behaviour (Sharpe, 2002). The participants consisted of 801 Taiwanese Chinese students and community individuals (Mean age = 25.36 years). In the proposed framework, gambling-urge mediated the relationship of negative psychological states, hope, gratitude, and personal-growth initiative with gambling-related cognitions. Meanwhile, gambling-related cognitions mediated the relationship between gambling-urge and PG among the Chinese. Path analyses provided support for this framework. The results evidenced the importance of gratitude in predicting PG among the Chinese via gambling-urge and gambling-related cognitions. In addition, hope in life (encompassing autonomy in devising plans for life goals and agency in thought processes) was found to have the same predictive pathway as gratitude on PG. Contrary to initial predictions, stronger personal-growth initiative predicted higher PG severity, gambling-related cognitions, and gambling urges. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed

The interaction of gender and AHS-Pathway on SOGS-C.

<p>The interaction of gender and AHS-Pathway on SOGS-C.</p

Results of the hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) assessing the effects of positive psychological dispositions and interactions with gender on outcome variables (<b>Subscales scores</b>).

<p><i>Note:</i></p>a<p>Standardized beta weights at entry.</p>b<p>Gender: −1 = Male, 1 = Female.</p>*<p><i>p</i><0.05.</p>**<p><i>p</i><0.01.</p>***<p><i>p</i><0.001.</p