Risk and cause of death of people who experienced gambling disorder in a nationwide study in Taiwan

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Author(s): Chen, Yang-Chieh Brian ; Hsu, Chih-Wei ; Wang, Liang-Jen ; Chen, Mu-Hong ; Yang, Yao-Hsu ; Liang, Chih-Sung ; Lai, Edward Chia-Cheng

Journal: Addiction

Year Published: 2026

Date Added: October 21, 2026

The aim of this study was to investigate the link between gambling disorder (GD) and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a Taiwanese population. The researchers analyzed data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2000 to 2022. A total of 961 patients with psychiatrist-diagnosed GD were identified. An age- and sex-matched control cohort consisting of 3,844 people without GD and a sibling cohort consisting of 675 siblings without GD who shared at least one biological parent were also identified. Compared to their matched controls, patients experiencing GD had a higher risk of all-cause mortality, driven by a higher risk of death from unnatural causes, especially suicides. There were similar results when patients experiencing GD were compared to their siblings without GD.

Citation: Chen, Y. C. B., Hsu, C. W., Wang, L. J., Chen, M. H., Yang, Y. H., Liang, C. S., & Lai, E. C. C. (2026). All-cause and cause-specific mortality in gambling disorder: Evidence from a nation-wide matched and sibling cohort study in Taiwan. Addiction. 121(8): 2225–2233. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70397

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70397

Keywords: gambling disorder ; suicide

Topics: Comorbidities ; Suicide

Conceptual Framework Factors: Psychological - Comorbid Disorders

Study Design: Secondary Data Analysis

Geographic Coverage: Taiwan

Study Population: Patients with psychiatrist-diagnosed gambling disorder (n=961), an age- and sex-matched control cohort (n=3,844), and an unaffected sibling cohort (n=675).

Sampling Procedure: Data were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research and Database for the period from 2000 to 2022.

Study Funding:

This study was funded by grants from the Taiwan National Science and Technology Council.