Identifying signs of gambling problems across a continuum

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Author(s): Cowlishaw, Sean ; Merkouris, Stephanie ; Dowling, Nicki A. ; Rodda, Simone N. ; Suomi, Aino ; Thomas, Samantha L.

Journal: Addictive Behaviors

Year Published: 2019

Date Added: February 28, 2019

Problematic gambling behaviours and harms range on a continuum from low to high levels of severity. The aims of this study were to map how they are located on the continuum and identify signs of low levels of severity. The researchers examined data from 1,305 adults who completed three widely used measures to assess their gambling problems. Most of the items across the three measures clustered around a narrow region of the continuum. These items mainly addressed addiction-like symptoms, such as craving and withdrawal. Items at the most severe end of the continuum were about harms. There were just a few items to indicate low levels of severity, including feeling guilty and betting more than one can afford. The results show a need to find more signs that indicate less severe problem gambling.

Citation: Cowlishaw, S., Merkouris, S. S., Dowling, N. A., Rodda, S., Suomi, A., & Thomas, S. L. (2019). Locating gambling problems across a continuum of severity: Rasch analysis of the Quinte Longitudinal Study (QLS). Addictive Behaviors, 92, 32-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.12.016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.12.016

Keywords: assessment ; gambling harm ; low-risk gambling ; NORC Diagnostic Screen for Gambling Disorders (NODS) ; Problem and Pathological Gambling Measure (PPGM) ; problem gambling severity ; Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) ; Quinte Longitudinal Study (QLS) ; secondary data analysis

Topics: Gambling Assessment ; NODS Screen for Gambling Problems

Conceptual Framework Factors: Environment - Low-Risk Limits

Response Rate: N/A

Study Design: Observational: Cross-sectional

Geographic Coverage: Canada, Ontario

Study Population: Adults who participated in the Quinte Longitudinal Study (QLS) and indicated some gambling problems.

Sampling Procedure: Data were obtained from the Quinte Longitudinal Study (QLS), which followed a cohort of adults living in the Quinte region of Ontario for a period of five years (2006-2011). The QLS recruited a general population sample and an at-risk sample. This study focused only on participants who had non-zero scores on three measures of problem gambling during the baseline assessment.