An abstract (not to exceed 200 words)
Disordered gamblers often exhibit comorbid psychiatric disorders, however, little is known about how or why these disorders co-occur. We posit that comorbidity is likely the result of one or more symptoms of disordered gambling being strongly associated with one or more symptoms of other disorders. To test this idea, we conducted a network analysis to identify relations between individual symptoms of disordered gambling, disordered eating, anxiety, and depression in a representative sample of Canadians from the Bay of Quinte region of Ontario (N=4121). Results indicated that chasing one’s losses was a central symptom in the disordered gambling network. Moreover, it connected to compensatory purging behavior in the disordered eating network. Furthermore, the disordered gambling and depression symptom networks were related indirectly though the anxiety symptom network. More specifically, the disordered gambling symptom pertaining to the need to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling of excitement was associated with the anxiety symptom pertaining to excessive worrying and difficulty stopping to do so. In turn, excessive worrying was connected to the depression symptom pertaining to feeling sad, down, or blue. This research suggests a need to focus on individual symptoms when examining the interrelation among disorders.
Word count = 199
A clear statement of the implications of the material to be presented, i.e., the “so what?” of the presentation (not to exceed 50 words)
The results make a unique theoretical contribution to the gambling studies field in terms of understanding the core symptom(s) underlying disordered gambling and the specific symptoms that connect disordered gambling with other co-occurring disorders. These findings have basic and applied significance for the treatment of disordered gambling and comorbid conditions.
Word count = 5
