Negative and positive mental health characteristics of family members affected by problem gambling

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Author(s): Spence, Kimberly ; Merkouris, Stephanie ; Jackson, Alun C. ; Wade, Andrew J. ; Dowling, Nicki A.

Journal: Addictive Behaviors

Year Published: 2024

Date Added: June 18, 2024

Affected family members (AFMs) are people who experience harm because of the problem gambling of another person in the family. There is a limited number of studies that identify the negative mental health (NMH) characteristics of AFMs, such as depression and panic disorder. Very little is known about their positive mental health (PMH) characteristics, such as quality of life. Currently, no study has explored if PMH characteristics are protective in the relationships between being an AFM and NMH characteristics. This study explored the associations between being an AFM and NMH and PMH characteristics. The researchers also examined if PMH characteristics could buffer the relationships between being an AFM and NMH characteristics, and if gender had an influence.

AFM status predicted various NMH and PMH characteristics. AFMs were more likely to have symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, and tobacco use than non-AFMs. However, the relationships between being an AFM and these NMH characteristics became non-significant after taking into account sociodemographic characteristics, problem gambling severity, and other NMH characteristics. AFMs were also less likely to use planning coping and had lower quality of life in the physical domain. Gender did not have influence on these relationships. Religious coping, however, worsened panic disorder symptoms among AFMs.

Citation: Spence, K., Merkouris, S. S., Jackson, A. C., Wade, A. J., & Dowling, N. A. (2024). Negative and positive mental health characteristics of affected family members: Findings from a cross-sectional Australian general population gambling study. Addictive Behaviors, 155, 107998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.107998

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.107998

Keywords: affected others ; mental health ; problem gambling ; protective factors

Topics: Information for Treatment Providers ; Prevention

Conceptual Framework Factors: Psychological Factors ; Social - Family and Peer Gambling Involvement ; Social Factors

Response Rate: 27.2%

Study Design: Observational: Cross-sectional

Geographic Coverage: Australia, Tasmania

Study Population: The participants were 1,869 Tasmanians between the ages of 18 and 94 years (M = 48.48). About 4.67% of the sample identified as affected family members.

Sampling Procedure: The researchers used data from the Third Social and Economic Impact Study (SEIS) of Gambling in Tasmania collected in 2013. The participants comprised a subsample of 1,887 Tasmanian adults (~38 % of the overall sample). This sub-sample included all participants who reported gambling on electronic gaming machines in the past year; participants with low-risk, moderate-risk, or problem gambling; and randomly selected 1 in 3 participants with non-problem gambling/non-gambling. This study used data from 1,869 participants who reported their status of being an affected family member or not.

Study Funding:

The Third SEIS of Gambling in Tasmania, which was conducted by a consortium between Acil Allen Consulting, the Social Research Centre, and the Problem Gambling Research and Treatment Centre was funded by the Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance.