Risk factors for pathological gambling along a continuum of severity: Individual and relational variables
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4309/jgi.2017.35.3Abstract
This study’s aim was to identify characteristics with higher odds of distinguishing a group of pathological gamblers (PG) from (1) a group of gamblers without a gambling problem (NP) and 2) a sub-clinical group (SP). An additional aim was to investigate those characteristics as risk/protective factors along the continuum of problem-gambling severity. Sociodemographic (gender, age, marital status, and educational level), individual (psychopathological symptoms) and relational (family functioning, dyadic adjustment, and differentiation of self) variables were considered. The sample consisted of 331 participants: 162 NP, 117 SP and 52 PG. The main results indicate that the characteristics with higher odds of distinguishing among the groups were gender, educational level, age, differentiation of self, and psychopathological symptoms. The odds of being a PG were higher for men with a low educational level and less adaptive psycho-relational functioning. Conversely, the odds of being a NP were higher for women with a high educational level and more adaptive psycho-relational functioning. Gender and educational level stood out with respect to their relevance as risk/protective factors, and their role was found to be dynamic and interdependent with the severity of problem gambling and/or the investigated psycho-relational characteristics. The risk/protective value was more remarkable when gamblers already exhibited SP.
L’objectif de cette étude était d'identifier les caractéristiques présentant une probabilité plus élevée de distinguer un groupe de joueurs pathologiques (PG) d'un groupe de joueurs sans problème de jeu (NP) et un groupe sous-clinique (SP). Un autre objectif consistait à étudier ces caractéristiques en tant que facteurs de risque / protection dans le continuum de la gravité du jeu problématique. Les variables sociodémographiques (sexe, âge, état matrimonial et niveau d'instruction), individuelles (symptômes psychopathologiques) et relationnelles (fonctionnement familial, ajustement dyadique et différenciation de self) ont été prises en considération. L'échantillon comprenait 331 participants: 162 NP, 117 SP et 52 PG. Les principaux résultats indiquent que les caractéristiques ayant une plus grande probabilité de distinction entre les groupes étaient le sexe, le niveau d'instruction, l'âge, la différenciation de self et les symptômes psychopathologiques. Les probabilités d'être un PG étaient plus élevées chez les hommes ayant un faible niveau d'instruction et moins adaptative au fonctionnement psycho-relationnel. À l'inverse, les probabilités d'être NP étaient plus élevées chez les femmes ayant un niveau d'instruction élevé et un fonctionnement psycho-relationnel plus adaptatif. Le sexe et le niveau de scolarité se distinguent par leur pertinence en tant que facteurs de risque / protection et leur rôle est jugé dynamique et interdépendant de la gravité du jeu problématique et / ou des caractéristiques psycho-relationnel étudiées. La valeur risque / protection était plus remarquable lorsque les joueurs présentaient déjà SP.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Journal Contributors Agreement
The parties intending to be legally bound (the principal author [Author] and the Journal of Gambling Issues [Publisher]), agree as follows:
1. The Author grants exclusively to the Publisher all world-wide rights in this Contribution; including the full copyright therein, the right to publish it as part of the JGI in all forms, languages and media now or hereafter known or developed and including, but not limited to, the right to license subsidiary rights such as granting rights to reprint in anthologies issued by other publishers or to photocopy for classroom use.
2. The Author guarantees that he or she is the sole owner of the Contribution and has full authority to make this agreement; and that the Contribution does not contain any copyright; does not violate any other property rights; does not contain any scandalous, libelous or unlawful matter; does not make any improper invasion of the privacy of another person; and has not been published before, and is not now being considered for publication elsewhere.
If the Contribution has been published previously, the Author guarantees that permission has been obtained, and any fee required has been paid, for publication in the JGI and shall submit proof of such permission and any required credit line to the Publisher with the signed agreement. The Author agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Publisher against any claim or proceeding undertaken on any of the aforementioned grounds.
3. The Author shall allow the Editor of the JGI and the Publisher to make the Contribution conform to the style of presentation, spelling, capitalization, punctuation and usage followed by the JGI. The Author agrees to review and correct the copyedited manuscript and proofs and to return them to the editor by the date set by the Editor. If the Editor has not received them by that time, the Author agrees that production of the JGI in which the Contribution is to be included may proceed without waiting for the Author's approval of the manuscript or the proofs.
4. If the Author wishes to publish this Contribution elsewhere, the Publisher shall grant to the Author, for no fee, a nonexclusive License to republish the Contribution in the same form in any language in a book or other media written or edited by the Author after the issue of the JGI containing the Contribution has been published, subject only to the conditions that a credit line, to be supplied by the Publisher, will be printed in the Author's book: to indicate the first publication of the Contribution in the JGI. The Author shall inform the Publisher 30 days before the Contribution is released in any other form.
5. This agreement shall be construed and interpreted through the laws of the province of Ontario, Canada. This agreement shall be binding upon and operate to the benefit of the parties thereto, their heirs, successors, assigns, and personal representatives. Where the Contribution is the product of more than one person, all of the obligations of the Author hereby created shall be deemed to be the joint and several obligations of all such persons as testified by their signatures.
6. The Author shall receive no payment from the Publisher for use of the Contribution.
7. The Author agrees to reference this article using its full and accurate name: Journal of Gambling Issues.
