Understanding non-suicidal self-injury patterns among people who gamble online

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Author(s): Losaberidze, Magda ; Urbán, Róbert ; Soborun, Yanisha ; Reinhardt, Melinda ; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi ; Corazza, Ornella ; Griffiths, Mark D. ; Baker-Frampton, Rosalind ; Mestre-Bach, Gemma ; Jiménez-Murcia, Susana ; Potenza, Marc N. ; Demetrovics, Zsolt ; Czakó, Andrea

Journal: Comprehensive Psychiatry

Year Published: 2026

Date Added: June 24, 2026

The present study examined the relationship between non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and gambling. A total of 1,047 adults who were living in the UK and had gambled online in the past year completed an online survey. It was found that people experiencing moderate-risk gambling and problem gambling were more likely to engage in NSSI. But the risk of NSSI was also elevated among people with low-risk gambling compared to people who were not experiencing problem gambling. Several predictors of engaging in NSSI were identified. Emotional distress and insomnia emerged as the strongest predictors of NSSI. Younger age was also associated with a higher likelihood of NSSI.

Citation: Losaberidze, M., Urbán, R., Soborun, Y., Reinhardt, M., Kökönyei, G., Corazza, O., Griffiths, M. D., Baker-Frampton, R., Mestre-Bach, G., Jiménez-Murcia, S., Potenza, M. N., Demetrovics, Z., & Czakó, A. (2026). Cutting the odds: Understanding non-suicidal self-injury patterns among people gambling online. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 147, 152686. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152686

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152686

Keywords: compulsive behaviour ; impulsivity ; non-suicidal self-injury ; problem gambling ; risk-taking

Topics: Impulsivity

Conceptual Framework Factors: Psychological - Comorbid Disorders ; Psychological Factors ; Psychological - Judgement and Decision Making

Study Design: Descriptive: Survey

Geographic Coverage: United Kingdom

Study Population: Adults living in the UK who were aged 18 or older and reported online gambling in the past 12 months (n = 1,047).

Sampling Procedure: An online survey was conducted in the UK. All participants were recruited through the online participant recruitment platform Prolific. The survey itself was hosted on Qualtrics.

Study Funding:

This study was funded by the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research's Research Innovation Fund Strategic Award.