Does being close to someone with gambling problems predict harm? An eight-wave longitudinal study

According to existing research, problematic gambling indirectly impacts 6-9 others per gambler. These affected others have been found to experience psychological and physical health problems and difficulties with addictive behaviors similar to those faced by gamblers. Studies assessing the relationship between being an affected other to a gambler and experiencing problems have mostly been based on cross-sectional samples, making long-term effects uncertain. To overcome this shortcoming, we used eight-wave longitudinal data (N = 1530, 50 % male) to examine whether being an affected other predicts harm in terms of alcohol use, gambling problems, and psychological distress. Dynamic panel data modeling with full information maximum likelihood was employed to analyze the associations among individuals. First, we assessed the associations in general, then conducted cross-lagged models to examine whether being an affected other predicted the harm outcomes. The results showed that being an affected other predicted gambling problems but not problematic drinking or psychological distress. The associations varied depending on the type of relationship the affected other had with the gambler. Having a parent, grandparent, or sibling with a gambling problem predicted the respondent's own gambling problems, but the direction of this association was inconsistent. Nevertheless, the findings indicate that a family member or friend's problematic gambling can influence one's own gambling behavior.