Late-onset pathological gambling: clinical correlates and gender differences

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Behavioral Science
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Age at illness onset is crucial for psychiatric disorders.
• Limited research exists on age of onset and clinical features of pathological gambling (PG).

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically examine the relationship between age at illness onset and clinical characteristics in pathological gambling.
• To compare late-onset PG with earlier onset groups on severity, comorbidities, and family history.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 322 subjects with current DSM-IV pathological gambling (PG) was analyzed.
• Subjects were categorized into late-onset (≥55 years) and earlier onset (<25, 26-54 years) groups.
• Comparisons were made on PG severity, co-occurring disorders, social/legal problems, and family history.

Main Results:

• Late-onset PG (13.4%) showed less bankruptcy and credit card debt.
• Late-onset PG subjects had higher rates of anxiety disorders.
• Late-onset PG was associated with lower parental gambling problems; early-onset PG requires better prevention.

Conclusions:

• Age at onset is linked to significant clinical features in pathological gambling (PG).
• Late-onset PG is prevalent and presents unique characteristics, suggesting a need for specific prevention and treatment strategies.
• Early-onset PG highlights the need for improved prevention efforts due to long durations before treatment-seeking.