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Should addictive disorders include non-substance-related conditions?
1Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. marc.potenza@yale.edu
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
|August 26, 2006
Summary
Pathological gambling (PG) shares many features with substance use disorders (SUDs), suggesting potential reclassification. Further research is needed before grouping impulse control disorders like PG with SUDs as addictions.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) currently categorizes pathological gambling (PG) as an impulse control disorder (ICD) and substance dependence as a substance use disorder (SUD).
- This separation exists despite recognized shared features between PG and SUDs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the potential inclusion of non-substance use disorders, such as PG, within the broader category of addictive disorders.
- To inform the upcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V).
Main Methods:
- Literature review and data analysis.
- Exploration of shared characteristics between PG and substance dependence.
- Consideration of existing categorizations within the DSM-IV-TR.
Main Results:
- Pathological gambling and substance dependence are currently classified in separate categories within the DSM-IV-TR.
- Arguments support both separate categorization and combined classification of PG and SUDs as addictions.
- Substantial similarities exist between PG and SUDs.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence highlights significant overlap between pathological gambling and substance use disorders.
- Further research is warranted to determine the appropriate classification of PG and other impulse control disorders alongside substance use disorders within the addiction framework.
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