Pathological Gambling : A Comprehensive Review

Due to recent changes of gambling laws, accessibility to gambling has become more widespread and thus, there has also been an increase in the prevalence of pathological gambling (PG). The wide range of social, economic, and psychological problems associated with PG are well known. There is a need for better understanding of PG and this review attempts to do so. Literature searches using the Medline and PsycINFO databases were used. Critical examining of the literature showed that familial/genetic, sociological, and individual factors (e.g., an individual's personality, biochemistry, psychological states, and cognitions) are implicated in the development and maintenance of PG, yet at present, the evidences are not solid. Similarly, there have been a lot of theories for PG but again, none of them are solid enough to provide a clear understanding of PG. Recent psychological-based theories seem to provide some solid ground for further research. We highlight four areas for future consideration for research. (1) Most studies have generalized findings from one form of gambling to another. It is suggested that it is now not tenable to consider gambling as a single phenomenon that can explain all forms of gambling. (2) Almost all of the studies in the gambling literature are Western-based and the results are often generalized to other ethnic and cultural groups. There is now an urgent need to close this gap. (3) Future studies need to address methodological problems in the current gambling/PG literature. (4) Almost all of the gambling literature has focused on the issue of why people start gambling. It is suggested that looking at variables as to why people stop gambling in a single episode may be a more fruitful area of research then why people start gambling. This is because what motivates one to continue gambling, despite losses in a session and across sessions, is a characteristic that distinguishes nonproblem gamblers from problem gamblers and pathological gamblers (PGs)

Touching points of s star-shaped set with an affine subspace

AbstractThe paper studies the following problem. Given a linear subspace L ⊂ Rn of dimension k, 1 ⩽ k ⩽ n – 1, the point x ∃ Rn, x ∉ L, and a star-shaped set A ⊂ Rn, characterize those τ> 0 for which L + x touches τA, and, if this is the case, describe the set τ cl(A)∩(L + x). Here A is star-shaped if λA ⊆ A for all 0 ⩽ λ ⩽ 1, L + x touches τA if L + x meets τA only on the boundary, and cl(A) means the closure of A. The problem is solved for two kinds of sets: convex A such that the origin θ is contained in the relative interior of A, and A equals to the closed unit ɭp-ball Gp for some 0 < p < 1. For convex A the set L⊥ ∩ A∗ plays a crucial role, where A∗ ≔ {z ∃ Rn:⇄z,y↩ ⩽ 1 for all y ∈ A} is the polar of A, and L⊊ is the orthogonal complement subspace to L. For Gp the problem is solved by a special geometrical construction based on “coordinate” subspaces RT such that L ∩ RT = {θ}

Effectiveness of a self-help cognitive behavioural treatment program for problem gamblers: a randomised controlled trial

The study aimed to strengthen the scarce literature on self-help treatments for Problem Gambling (PG) by comparing the effectiveness of a Self-Help Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (SHCBT) program (n\ua0=\ua023) with a 6-week Waitlist condition (n\ua0=\ua032) in problem gamblers. Participants were community volunteers with gambling problems and were randomly allocated to the Waitlist and treatment conditions. Results showed significant improvements at post-treatment in gambling behaviors including frequency of gambling, average amount gambled per day and PG symptoms as well as a number of gambling correlates including psychological states (e.g., depression, anxiety and stress), gambling cognitions, gambling urges, gambling related self-efficacy, satisfaction with life, and quality of life among those who completed the SHCBT program, when compared with the waitlist condition. The effect size (partial η) ranged from .25 to .57 for all assessed outcomes that showed significant improvement from pre- to post-treatment. It was concluded that a self-help CBT program can be beneficial for treating community problem gamblers

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

The relation between personal relative deprivation and the urge to gamble among gamblers is moderated by problem gambling severity: A meta-analysis

One psychosocial factor that has been identified to motivate gambling is personal relative deprivation (PRD), which refers to resentment stemming from the belief that one is deprived of a desired and deserved outcome compared to some referent. Although several lines of evidence point to a positive association between PRD and the urge to gamble, the factors that might moderate this relation have yet to be investigated. Through a quantitative research synthesis, we sought to test (a) the overall relation between PRD and gambling urges among people reporting recent gambling experience, and (b) whether this relation is moderated by problem gambling severity. Meta-analysis revealed that, overall, higher self-reported PRD was associated with stronger urges to gamble (r= .26). A meta-regression revealed that, across studies, the strength of this relation depended on problem gambling severity, such that the relation between PRD and gambling urges was stronger among samples higher in average problem gambling severity. This pattern was corroborated by an analysis of the aggregated individual participant data (N= 857), such that PRD predicted gambling urges only among participants higher in problem gambling severity. The potential practical implications and limitations of these results are discussed

A comparison of online versus offline gambling harm in Portuguese pathological gamblers: an empirical study

Over the past decade, gambling has become a very popular activity across Europe including the growth of Internet gambling. Portugal is one of the few European countries where little research has been carried out. Given the lack of studies, a Portuguese sample (N = 1,599) was surveyed concerning their online and offline gambling habits. More specifically, the aim of this study was to identify and compare from the total sample, online pathological gamblers (PGON) (n = 171) and offline pathological gamblers' (PGOF) (n = 171) characteristics, and eventual risk factors for the development of problem gambling. Results demonstrated that PGON had different profiles compared to PGOF, although there were also similarities. Situational characteristics were much more significant for PGON than PGOF (e.g., availability, accessibility, affordability), but PGOF had higher scores than PGON on factors concerning individual characteristics (e.g., intensity of feelings while gambling, depression, suicidal ideation, etc.). Findings also showed differences concerning attitudes toward responsible gambling measures. The fact that situational characteristics are more attractive to online gamblers confirms differences between PGON and PGOF and suggests that this preferred attractiveness may enhance problem gambling potential. Further research is needed to better understand the interaction between Internet situational characteristics and the individual characteristics of gamblers, as well as the profile of the growing population of gamblers that uses both online and offline modes to gamble

Chinese beliefs in luck are linked to gambling problems via strengthened cognitive biases:A mediation test

10.1007/s10899-017-9690-6Journal of gambling studies3341325-133

Damage to insula abolishes cognitive distortions during simulated gambling.

This is the accepted version of an article originally published in PNAS. The version of record is available at http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/04/02/1322295111.Gambling is a naturalistic example of risky decision-making. During gambling, players typically display an array of cognitive biases that create a distorted expectancy of winning. This study investigated brain regions underpinning gambling-related cognitive distortions, contrasting patients with focal brain lesions to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), insula, or amygdala ("target patients") against healthy comparison participants and lesion comparison patients (i.e., with lesions that spare the target regions). A slot machine task was used to deliver near-miss outcomes (i.e., nonwins that fall spatially close to a jackpot), and a roulette game was used to examine the gambler's fallacy (color decisions following outcome runs). Comparison groups displayed a heightened motivation to play following near misses (compared with full misses), and manifested a classic gambler's fallacy effect. Both effects were also observed in patients with vmPFC and amygdala damage, but were absent in patients with insula damage. Our findings indicate that the distorted cognitive processing of near-miss outcomes and event sequences may be ordinarily supported by the recruitment of the insula. Interventions to reduce insula reactivity could show promise in the treatment of disordered gambling.LC was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council (UK) (G1100554). BS was supported by a PhD studentship from the Medical Research Council. AB and DT, as well as the lesion patient research, were supported by grants from the National Institute of Health, namely the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [P01 NS19632], and by the National Institute on Drug Abuse [R01 DA023051, R01 DA022549]

Psychometric properties of the Italian versions of the Gambling Urge Scale (GUS) and the Gambling Refusal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (GRSEQ)

Gambling urges and gambling refusal self-efficacy beliefs play a major role in the development and maintenance of problem gambling. This study aimed to translate the Gambling Urge Scale (GUS) and the Gambling Refusal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (GRSEQ) from English to Italian (GUS-I, GRSEQ-I) and to test their factor structure, internal consistency, construct validity, concurrent validity, and gender differences in 513 individuals from the Italian community. Factor structure and construct validity were tested through Confirmatory Factor Analysis, internal consistency through Cronbach’s alpha, concurrent validity through correlations with gambling-related cognitions (GRCS-I), probable pathological gambling (SOGS-I), and gambling functioning (GFA-R-I). Results confirmed that the 6 items of the GUS-I load highly on one dimension of Gambling Urge, and each of the 26 items of the GRSEQ-I load highly on their relevant sub-dimension, among the following: situations/thoughts, drugs, positive emotions, negative emotions. Both scales are internally consistent and show concurrent validity with gambling-related cognitions, probable pathological gambling, and gambling functioning. Males score higher than females at the GUS-I; females score higher than males at the GRSEQ-I. The findings from the present study suggest that the GUS-I and the GRSEQ-I are internally consistent and valid scales for the assessment of gambling urges and gambling refusal self-efficacy in Italian individuals from the community, with significant repercussions in terms of assessment, prevention, and intervention

How coping styles, cognitive distortions, and attachment predict problem gambling among adolescents and young adults

Background and aims: Recent research suggests that youth problem gambling is associated with several factors, but little is known how these factors might influence or interact each other in predicting this behavior. Consequently, this is the first study to examine the mediation effect of coping styles in the relationship between attachment to parental figures and problem gambling. Methods: A total of 988 adolescents and emerging adults were recruited to participate. The first set of analyses tested the adequacy of a model comprising biological, cognitive, and family variables in predicting youth problem gambling. The second set of analyses explored the relationship between family and individual variables in problem gambling behavior. Results: The results of the first set of analyses demonstrated that the individual factors of gender, cognitive distortions, and coping styles showed a significant predictive effect on youth problematic gambling, and the family factors of attachment and family structure did not reveal a significant influence on this behavior. The results of the second set of analyses demonstrated that the attachment dimension of angry distress exerted a more indirect influence on problematic gambling, through emotion-focused coping style. Discussion: This study revealed that some family variables can have a more indirect effect on youth gambling behavior and provided some insights in how some factors interact in predicting problem gambling. Conclusion: These findings suggest that youth gambling is a multifaceted phenomenon, and that the indirect effects of family variables are important in estimating the complex social forces that might influence adolescent decisions to gamble