Pathological gambling in treatment-seeking substance abusers

Area of Science:

• Addiction research
• Psychiatry
• Behavioral science

Background:

• Substance abuse and gambling problems frequently co-occur.
• Limited research exists on gambling problems across specific substance use disorders beyond alcohol and opiates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of pathological gambling among individuals admitted to a residential addiction treatment program.
• To examine the association between pathological gambling and specific psychoactive substance use.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 580 individuals in a residential addiction program were assessed.
• The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) was used to identify pathological gambling within the past year.

Main Results:

• Overall, 10.5% of participants screened positive for pathological gambling.
• Cannabis abusers exhibited the highest rate of pathological gambling (24%), significantly exceeding rates for alcohol (4%), cocaine (11.5%), and opiate abusers (4.8%).
• Men reported higher rates of pathological gambling (11.9%) than women (7.5%), and a family history of gambling problems was more common in those with pathological gambling.

Conclusions:

• Pathological gambling is a significant issue within the substance abuse population.
• Cannabis use disorder is strongly associated with pathological gambling, suggesting unique etiological pathways or treatment needs.