Elsevier

Addictive Behaviors

Volume 18, Issue 3, May–June 1993, Pages 331-336
Addictive Behaviors

Disinhibition and negative affectivity in substance abusers with and without a gambling problem

https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4603(93)90034-7Get rights and content

Abstract

A cohort of 2, 171 substance abusers were assessed for their gambling behavior, and divided into three groups: those with no significant gambling problem (87%); those with a probable problem (7.2%); and those with a severe problem (5.8%). Substance abusers with a gambling problem scored significantly higher on measures of: impulsivity; disinhibition of aggressive/hostile responses; and negative affectivity. They also abused more substances than the nongamblers. The results underscore the importance of assessing a wide range of impulsive behaviors in substance abusers and the potential for subtyping substance abusers based on psychological traits.

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