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Comparison of craving between pathological gamblers and alcoholics
Hermano Tavares1, Monica L Zilberman, David C Hodgins
1Department of Psychiatry, Gambling Outpatient Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. hermanot@uol.com.br
Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
|September 1, 2005
Summary
Pathologic gamblers experience stronger cravings than alcohol-dependent subjects, potentially increasing relapse risk. This highlights differences in personality traits like novelty seeking and harm avoidance between these addiction groups.
Area of Science:
- Addiction research
- Clinical psychology
- Neuroscience of addiction
Background:
- Craving is a core component of addiction.
- Temperament factors significantly influence addictive behaviors, including pathological gambling and substance use disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the intensity of craving between individuals with pathological gambling and alcohol dependence.
- To explore the correlation between craving and specific personality traits in these two patient groups.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 49 pathological gamblers (PG) and 101 alcohol-dependent subjects (ADS) meeting DSM-IV criteria.
- Assessed craving using identical questions for alcohol and gambling, respectively, after 5-21 days of abstinence.
- Administered the Temperament and Character Inventory and Beck Scales for anxiety and depression.
Main Results:
- Pathological gamblers reported significantly higher craving scores than alcohol-dependent subjects.
- Pathological gamblers scored higher in novelty seeking, while alcohol-dependent subjects scored higher in harm avoidance.
- Alcohol craving correlated with anxiety and novelty seeking; gambling craving correlated with depression and negatively with reward dependence.
Conclusions:
- Pathological gamblers exhibit more intense cravings, posing a higher relapse risk.
- Elevated novelty seeking in PG aligns with impulsivity associations, while higher harm avoidance in ADS suggests anxiety vulnerability.
- Alcohol craving is linked to anxiety and harm avoidance, indicating alcohol use to manage negative emotions; gambling craving relates to depression and lower reward dependence.
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