Mental health as a predictor of online gambling one year later in a large cohort of Canadian adolescents

Online gambling is becoming more prevalent among youth. Research has found a number of risk factors linked to gambling behaviour among young people. However, most of these findings have been based on cross-sectional studies that collect data at one time point only. In the present study, the researchers analyzed longitudinal data to identify potential mental health predictors of future online gambling. A total of 26,818 Canadian students in grades 9 to 11 were included in the study. It was found that young people who scored high on depressive symptoms, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation were more likely to report online gambling one year later. However, when all mental health predictors were analyzed together, only young people with high depressive symptoms were more likely to report online gambling one year later. The results highlight the role of mental health in online gambling risk among youth.

See the two-page plain language summary 'Mental health as a predictor of online gambling one year later in a large cohort of Canadian adolescents' in Greo's Evidence Centre.