Problem gambling (PG) is a serious mental health concern, with many factors that contribute to its development. The pathways model suggests three distinct pathways in the development of PG. However, the role of gambling motives within the pathways model remains poorly understood. This study examined the relationships between gambling motives and PG, and explored potential factors in the pathways model that might influence these relationships. The researchers surveyed 342 adults who lived in Australia and had gambled in the past month. It was found that all gambling motives (coping, enhancement, financial and social) were associated with PG. Coping motives and lack of clarity of one’s emotions interacted to increase the likelihood of PG. All gambling motives interacted with distress tolerance to influence the likelihood of PG. In general, people with lower levels of distress tolerance were more likely to experience PG. Lastly, enhancement motives interacted with positive urgency (a tendency to act rashly when feeling strong positive emotions). Specifically, people who had higher levels of positive urgency and gambled to enhance positive feelings were more likely to experience PG.
