| 1. |
- Bickl, Andreas M., et al.
(author)
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Changes in gambling behaviour and related problems in clients seeking help in outpatient addiction care : Results from a 36-month follow-up study in Bavaria
- 2021
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In: Journal of Behavioral Addictions. - : Akademiai Kiado Zrt.. - 2062-5871 .- 2063-5303. ; 10:3, s. 690-700
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and aim: Evidence on the course of gambling disorder (GD) in clients seeking help from outpatient addiction care facilities is sparse. To close this knowledge gap, this longitudinal one-armed cohort study portrays the development of GD in help-seeking clients over a 3-year timeframe.Methods: We investigated changes in severity of GD as well as in gambling frequency and intensity in 145 gamblers in outpatient treatment in Bavaria using generalized estimation equations (GEEs). To investigate potentially different trajectories between study participants with and without migration background (MB), additional analyses were applied with time*migration interaction. All analyses were adjusted for age, gender, education, electronic gambling machine (EGM) gambling, MB, GD, related help sought before and treatment status.Results: Within the entire study population, improvements in severity of GD (reduction of 39.2%), gambling intensity (reduction of 75.6%) and gambling frequency (reduction of 77.0%) were observed between baseline and 36 months of follow-up. The declines were most pronounced between baseline and follow-up 1 and stabilized thereafter. Participants with MB improved consistently less than participants without MB.Discussion and conclusion: Our study suggests that severity of GD and gambling patterns improve in the context of outpatient treatment. The beneficial results furthermore persist for 36 months after treatment termination. As clients with MB seem to profit less than clients without MB, improvements in outpatient gambling services to the specific needs of this clientele are required.
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| 2. |
- Bickl, Andreas M., et al.
(author)
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Development of Gambling Behaviour and Its Relationship with Perceived Social Support : A Longitudinal Study of Young Adult Male Gamblers
- 2024
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In: Journal of Gambling Studies. - 1050-5350 .- 1573-3602. ; 40:1, s. 307-332
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Young adult men who gamble frequently face an elevated risk of developing gambling-related problems. So far, little is known about how changing levels of perceived social support interact with the course of gambling behaviour and gambling-related problems in this population. Using data from a prospective single-arm cohort study (Munich Leisure Time Study), we applied hierarchical linear models to investigate the longitudinal association of changes in perceived emotional and social support (hereafter PESS; operationalized as ENRICHD Social Support Instrument score) with gambling intensity, gambling frequency, and fulfilled criteria for gambling disorder. Pooling data from three time points (baseline, 12-month and 24-month follow-ups) to assess two 1-year intervals, these models disentangle the associations of (a) “level of PESS” (cross-sectional, between participants) and (b) “changes in individual PESS” (longitudinally, within-participants). Among the 169 study participants, higher levels of PESS were associated with fewer gambling-related problems (− 0.12 criteria met; p = 0.014). Furthermore, increasing individual PESS was associated with lower gambling frequency (− 0.25 gambling days; p = 0.060) and intensity (− 0.11 gambling hours; p = 0.006), and fewer gambling-related problems (− 0.19 problems; p < 0.001). The results suggest a mitigating influence of PESS on gambling behaviour and gambling-related problems. Increasing individual PESS appears more decisive for this pathway than high initial levels of PESS. Treatment and prevention strategies that activate and reinforce beneficial social resources in people with gambling-related problems are recommended and promising.
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| 3. |
- Braun, Barbara, et al.
(author)
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Gamblers seeking treatment : Who does and who doesn't?
- 2014
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In: Journal of Behavioral Addictions. - 2062-5871 .- 2063-5303. ; 3:3, s. 189-198
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and aims: As only a minority of pathological gamblers (PGr) presents for treatment, further knowledge about help-seeking behavior is required in order to enhance treatment utilization. The present study investigated factors associated with treatment participation in gamblers in Germany. As subclinical pathological gamblers (SPGr, fulfilling one to four DSM-IV-criteria) are target of early intervention due to high risk of transition to pathological gambling, they were subject of special interest. Methods: The study analyzed data from a general population survey (n = 234, SPGr: n = 198, PGr: n = 36) and a treatment study (n = 329, SPGr: n = 22, PGr: n = 307). A two-step weighting procedure was applied to ensure comparability of samples. Investigated factors included socio-demographic variables, gambling behavior, symptoms of pathological gambling and substance use. Results: In PGr, regular employment and non-German nationality were positively associated with being in treatment while gambling on the Internet and gaming machines and fulfilling more DSM-IV-criteria lowered the odds. In SPGr, treatment attendance was negatively associated with married status and alcohol consumption and positively associated with older age, higher stakes, more fulfilled DSM-IV criteria and regular smoking. Conclusions: In accordance to expectations more severe gambling problems and higher problem awareness and/or external pressure might facilitate treatment entry. There are groups with lower chances of being in treatment: women, ethnic minorities, and SPGr. We propose target group specific offers, use of Internet-based methods as possible adaptions and/or extensions of treatment offers that could enhance treatment attendance.
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| 4. |
- Grüne, Bettina, et al.
(author)
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Drinking Location and Drinking Culture and Their Association With Alcohol Use Among Girls and Boys in Europe
- 2017
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In: Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. - : Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc.. - 1937-1888 .- 1938-4114. ; 78:4, s. 549-557
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: This study aimed to (a) investigate the relationship between drinking location and adolescent alcohol use, (b) analyze the association of drinking culture indicators with alcohol use, and (c) explore interaction effects of drinking location and drinking culture indicators. Method: Analyses were based on the 2011 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD). The analytical sample consisted of 15-to 16-year-old students (N = 36,366; 51.6% female) from 11 countries. Alcohol volume and perceived drunkenness were used as outcomes. Drinking location was used as predictor variable. Per capita consumption and restrictions on public drinking were used as country-level predictors. Sex-stratified generalized linear models with cluster robust standard errors were applied. Results: Compared with drinking outdoors, the reported alcohol volume was lower when drinking at home and higher when drinking in multiple locations or at someone else's home. Drunkenness was highest among boys drinking at someone else's home and, compared with drinking outdoors, lower among girls drinking on premise. Per capita consumption was positively associated with alcohol volume. Among girls, the association between per capita consumption and both outcomes was stronger when drinking in multiple locations than when drinking outdoors. A ban on public drinking showed a negative effect on drinking volume and drunkenness among girls. Conclusions: The role of different drinking locations in alcohol use as well as sex differences should be considered in prevention and intervention of adolescent heavy drinking. Setting-specific prevention and intervention measures are of greater importance in medium-or high-consumption societies.
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| 5. |
- Motka, Franziska, et al.
(author)
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Who uses self-exclusion to regulate problem gambling? A systematic literature review
- 2018
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In: Journal of Behavioral Addictions. - : Akademiai Kiado Zrt.. - 2062-5871 .- 2063-5303. ; 7:4, s. 903-916
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Self-exclusion programs offer an intervention for individuals with problem gambling behavior. However, these programs are insufficiently used. This review describes sociodemographic features and gambling behavior of self-excluders as well as goals and motives for initiating self-exclusion from terrestrial and online gambling. In addition, use of further professional help and barriers to self-exclusion are examined.METHODS: Based on systematic literature search and quality assessment, n = 16 original studies (13 quantitative, 2 qualitative, and 1 mixed method) published between 1997 and 2017 in English or German language were analyzed. Results are presented for online and terrestrial gambling separately.RESULTS: Online self-excluders were on average 10 years younger than terrestrial self-excluders. Self-exclusion was mainly motivated by financial problems, followed by feelings of losing control and problems with significant others. Financial problems and significant others were less important for online than for terrestrial gamblers. Main barriers for self-exclusion were complicated enrollment processes, lack of complete exclusion from all venues, little support from venue staff, and lack of adequate information on self-exclusion programs. Both self-excluders from terrestrial and online gambling had negative attitudes toward the need of professional addiction care.CONCLUSION: To exploit the full potential of self-exclusion as a measure of gambler protection, its acceptance and its utilization need to be increased by target-group-specific information addressing financial issues and the role of significant others, simplifying the administrative processes, facilitating self-exclusion at an early stage of the gambling career, offering self-determined exclusion durations, and promoting additional use of professional addiction care.
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| 6. |
- Sleczka, Pawel, et al.
(author)
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Family functioning and gambling problems in young adulthood : the role of the concordance of values
- 2018
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In: Addiction Research and Theory. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1058-6989 .- 1606-6359 .- 1476-7392. ; 26:6, s. 447-456
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Although young adult men are at an elevated risk for gambling problems (GP), compared to adolescents and adults in general this group is still largely unresearched. The current study investigates whether family functioning, which is associated with reduced risk for GP in adolescence, also affects gambling in young adults, who are more independent than minors. It analyses the relationship between GP and two core components of family functioning, the effectiveness of problem-solving in the family and perceived concordance of values.Methods: Data came from the baseline, 12- and 24-month follow-up assessments of Munich Leisure-time Study (MLS), a longitudinal online study in young male gamblers. Young men were recruited via the Munich citizens’ registry (n = 2,693) and Facebook invites (n = 105). In total, n = 173 individuals positively screened for frequent and/or regular gambling participated in the study. The hypothesised relations between problem-solving, concordance of values and GP were investigated with a path model controlling for non-planning impulsiveness and psychological distress.Results: Higher concordance of family values was significantly related to less GP in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. It mediated the relation between the effectiveness of problem-solving and GP.Conclusions: While previous studies indicated good family functioning as a factor preventive of GP, the current results indicate that this association is mediated by the perceived concordance of family values. In families with effective problem-solving, common family values might facilitate recognition of and reaction to first signs of problems. Perceived discordance may lead to feelings of shame and concealment of GP.
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| 7. |
- Sleczka, Pawel, et al.
(author)
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Gamblers' attitudes towards money and their relationship to gambling disorder among young men
- 2020
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In: Journal of Behavioral Addictions. - : Akademiai Kiado Zrt.. - 2062-5871 .- 2063-5303. ; 9:3, s. 744-755
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and aims: Money plays a central role in gambling, and understanding the different attitudes of gamblers towards it might benefit both prevention and treatment of gambling-related problems. This study describes the development of a new German measure of attitudes to money and the differences in these attitudes between male non-gamblers, occasional, frequent and problem gamblers. Furthermore, it investigates the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between attitudes towards money and the severity of gambling disorder.Methods: An online study was conducted among 2,584 men aged 18–25 years, recruited via the Munich citizen registry. Additionally, a sample of n = 105 Facebook users was included in part of the analyses. Frequent and problem gamblers were invited to a 12-month follow-up. Apart from gambling participation and related problems, the questionnaire included items from existing scales measuring attitudes to money.Results: Three factors underlying a new 12-item German Scale of Money Attitudes (SMAG) were identified: success, budgeting and evil. Compared with other groups, participants reporting any gambling problems scored highest in success and lowest in budgeting. Budgeting was associated with gambling-related problems in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses and strengthened the relationship between associating money with success and gambling disorder.Discussion: For problem gamblers, money is important as a personal symbol of success. This attitude has an especially negative effect on gambling-related problems in individuals who handle money irresponsibly. Spending and winning money might play an important role in maintaining self-esteem among gamblers and thus hinder their attempts to quit.
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| 8. |
- Sleczka, Pawel, et al.
(author)
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Proactive coping and gambling disorder among young men
- 2016
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In: Journal of Behavioral Addictions. - : Akademiai Kiado Zrt.. - 2062-5871 .- 2063-5303. ; 5:4, s. 639-648
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: Male sex, young age, and frequent gambling are considered as risk factors for gambling disorder (GD) and stress might be one of the triggers of gambling behavior among problem gamblers. Conversely, well-developed coping with stress might counteract gambling problems. The Proactive Coping Theory provides a promising approach for the further development of preventive and treatment measures. The objective of the study was to investigate different facets of proactive coping (PC) in young male gamblers.Methods: Young men from Bavaria were recruited via the Munich citizens’ registry (n = 2,588) and Facebook invitations (n = 105). In total, 173 out of 398 individuals were positively screened for frequent gambling and/or signs of related problems and completed the baseline questionnaire of the Munich Leisure-time Study. Factors investigated include gambling problems, PC, impulsiveness, social support, and psychological distress.Results: Gambling problems were associated with lower levels of preventive coping as well as of adaptive reaction delay. The associations were also significant when controlled for impulsiveness and general psychological distress. Preventive coping moderated the association between social support and gambling problems.Discussion and conclusions: Young men with gambling problems less frequently prevent the occurrence of stressors and more often react hasty when these occur. While the investigated group reported good social support, this factor was negatively associated with GD only among individuals with good preventive coping. Preventive coping poses a useful construct for selective prevention and treatment as it can be modified in professional interventions.
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| 9. |
- Sleczka, Pawel, et al.
(author)
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Why do they gamble and what does it mean? Latent class analysis of gambling motives among young male gamblers
- 2022
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In: Addiction Research and Theory. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1606-6359 .- 1476-7392. ; 30:6, s. 431-440
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND Motives to gamble are important in the functional analysis of problematic gambling. This study examines the possibility of classifying young male gamblers based on their motives to gamble and compares the identified groups to validate the obtained classification.METHOD Based on a screening survey among 2,681 young men from Bavaria, n=170 frequent or problem gamblers (Mage = 22.3 years, SD = 2.5) were recruited to participate in a survey with a 2-year follow-up. Latent class analyses (LCA) were conducted based on baseline answers to 10 items measuring five domains of gambling motives: enhancement, coping, self-gratification, and social and financial motives. The identified classes were compared regarding baseline gambling attitudes and impulsiveness as well as gambling behavior and gambling disorder (GD) criteria at baseline and follow-up.RESULTS Analyses revealed a four-class solution based on reported motives: ‘primarily fun-motivated gamblers’ (n=100, 58.8%), who gambled mostly for fun; ‘asset and self-gratification seekers’ (n=19, 11.2%) with a high risk of GD at baseline; ‘thrill seekers’ (n=42, 24.7%) with high impulsiveness; and ‘polymotivated coping gamblers’ (n=9, 5.3%) with a higher risk of GD than the ‘primarily fun-motivated gamblers’ in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.CONCLUSIONS The identified group differences support the validity of the classification. ‘Thrill seekers’ and ‘polymotivated coping gamblers’ correspond to the impulsive and emotionally vulnerable pathways described by Blaszczynski and Nower (2002) respectively. The two other groups appear to be subtypes of the behaviorally conditioned type. Motivation-based classification offers a promising approach to identifying individuals with an elevated risk of GD.
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