Adaptive and maladaptive personality traits in high-risk gamblers

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Gambling Disorder (GD) is a significant addiction impacting social and occupational life.
• Understanding personality risk factors is crucial for prevention and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between gambling disorder risk and personality dimensions.
• To differentiate the influence of adaptive versus maladaptive traits.

Main Methods:

• Assessed gambling disorder risk in nonreferred Italian gamblers.
• Utilized the Big Five Inventory (BFI) and Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5).
• Controlled for alcohol and drug use in analyses.

Main Results:

• Initial associations found between GD risk and Big Five's Openness and Conscientiousness, but not after controlling for substance use.
• Significant associations persisted between GD risk and PID-5 domains (Detachment, Antagonism) and specific facets (Hostility, Callousness, Deceitfulness, Manipulativeness, Irresponsibility, low Rigid Perfectionism), even after controlling for substance use.
• Maladaptive personality traits showed a robust link to gambling disorder risk.

Conclusions:

• Maladaptive personality dispositions are significant risk factors for pathological gambling.
• These personality factors contribute to gambling disorder risk independently of substance use issues.