Gambling disorder is a major public health issue in Australia. Men are more likely than women to gamble and to experience problem gambling. This study aimed to identify psychosocial predictors of problem gambling among men. Data were from 2,018 men who participated in all four waves of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Male Health (Ten to Men study). The researchers examined 10 potential predictors: age, socioeconomic disadvantage, subjective wellbeing, generalized anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, alcohol use, loneliness, social support, conformity to masculine norms, and gambling frequency.
All predictors were individually associated with problem gambling severity. However, when they were included in a model combining all predictors, only gambling frequency and social support uniquely and significantly predicted problem gambling severity. Men who gambled more frequently and those with lower social support had more severe problem gambling at Wave 4.
