Personality dimensions in pathological gambling disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder

This study was conducted to investigate the similarities and differences in the personality dimensions of patients with pathological gambling disorder (PGD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thirty-three subjects with PGD, 41 with OCD and 40 normal controls were assessed with the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), which assesses three personality dimensions: novelty seeking, reward dependence, and harm avoidance. Compared with OCD subjects, PGD subjects expressed significantly greater novelty seeking, impulsiveness, and extravagance. The PGD subjects also reported significantly less anticipatory worry, fear of uncertainty, and harm avoidance than the OCD subjects. Compared with controls, the PGD subjects expressed significantly greater novelty seeking, impulsiveness, and extravagance. These results suggest that the personality dimensions of pathological gamblers may differ significantly from both those of OCD patients and normal controls.