Background
Method
Participants
Measures
-
Diagnostic questionnaire for Pathological Gambling according to DSM-IV criteria [25,26]. This questionnaire assesses the 10 criteria for PG according to the DSM-IV [27]. The cutoff is 5. The Spanish version was used as it has been shown to have satisfactory psychometric properties with a high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha, α = .95), high overall classification accuracy (hit rate = .95) [26]. The internal consistency in the sample was very good, α = .83.
-
South Oaks Gambling Screen; (SOGS; [28,29]. This is a 33 item diagnostic questionnaire that measures severity of gambling activity (responses ranging from 0–20) that adequately discriminates between probable PG, problem gamblers, and non-problem players. It is a widely used scale in the early assessment of pathological gambling and has shown good evidence of classification accuracy. The SOGS has demonstrated evidence of reliability, including good temporal stability (test-retest r = .98) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .94) [29]. The internal consistency in the sample was excellent, α = .89.
-
Symptom Check List- 90-Revised (SCL-90-R) [30]. This is a 90-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure current psychopathology and distress level. The questionnaire explores 9 dimensions or psychopathological profiles: somatization, obsession-compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, anger-hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism. The test provides three levels of information: overall (GSI: Global Severity Index), dimensional (Positive Symptom Total PST), and discrete symptoms (PSDI: Index Positive Symptom Distress). Spanish validation of this scale [31] showed good internal consistency with Cronbach’s alphas between .81 and .90; and good temporal stability with test-retest correlations between .78 and .90. The internal consistency in the sample was between good (paranoid ideation scale, α = .76) to excellent (global scales, α = .98).
-
Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R; [32]. This questionnaire consists of 240 items with five-point Likert scale response options. The 7 dimensions of the model of the TCI-R are divided into four for temperament and three for character. The temperamental traits are: Sensation Seeking, Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence and Persistence. The character traits are: Self-Direction, Cooperation and Self-Transcendence. The internal consistency of the different dimensions of personality in a Spanish sample was good with Cronbach’s alphas between .77 and .84 [33]. The internal consistency in the sample was between good (novelty seeking scale, α = .70) to very good (persistence scale, α = .86).
Procedure
Statistical analysis
Results
Socio-demographic and clinical comparison between GD patients based on gambling preference
Non-SG
|
SG
|
1
p
|
Cohen’s
| ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(n=1,709)
|
(n=301)
|
|
d
|
| |||
Gender; % |
Males
| 89.9% | 94.0% | .024 | 0.151 |
Age (years); mean (SD) | 42.5 (13.3) | 40.0 (13.0) | .002 | 0.190 | |
Age of onset (years); mean (SD) | 36.6 (13.3) | 34.1 (12.4) | .004 | 0.194 | |
Origin; % |
Spain
| 92.8% | 89.4% | .041 | 0.120 |
Education level; % |
Less than primary
| 3.1% | 2.0% | <.001 | 0.277 |
Primary
| 57.8% | 36.7% | |||
Secondary
| 35.5% | 47.6% | |||
University
| 3.7% | 13.6% | |||
Civil status; % |
Single
| 33.9% | 39.7% | .062 | 0.105 |
Married - in couple
| 52.3% | 44.9% | |||
Divorced – separated
| 13.8% | 15.4% | |||
Employment status; % |
Employed
| 59.1% | 62.5% | .257 | 0.07 |
Means and prevalence
|
1
Means or proportions comparisons
| ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-SG
|
SG
|
ϕ= mean difference or odds ratio; d=Cohen’s-d
| |||||
(n=1,709)
|
(n=301)
|
p
|
ϕ
|
95% CI (ϕ)
|
d
| ||
Smoker (yes); % | 75.5% | 61.2% |
<.001
|
0.51
✝
|
0.39;
|
0.67
✝
| 0.311 |
Number of cigarettes/day; mean | 22.8 | 21.4 | .148 | 1.39 | −0.49; | 3.27 | 0.110 |
Alcohol abuse (yes); % | 15.5% | 9.3% |
.007
|
0.56
✝
|
0.37;
|
0.85
✝
| 0.187 |
Other drugs abuse (yes); % | 10.0% | 9.3% | .702 | 0.92 | 0.60; | 1.41 | 0.025 |
Other addictive behaviours (yes); % | 7.8% | 11.1% | .061 | 1.48 | 0.98; | 2.23 | 0.113 |
Maximum bets (euros); mean | 568.2 | 2938.5 |
<.001
|
−2370.3
✝
|
−2665.5;
|
−2075.1
✝
|
0.603*
|
Mean bets (euros); mean | 112.4 | 572.2 |
<.001
|
−459.8
✝
|
−575.4;
|
−344.1
✝
| 0.337 |
Cumulate debts (euros); mean | 7020.9 | 24327.7 |
<.001
|
−17306.8
✝
|
−21163.1;
|
−13450.5
✝
| 0.397 |
Number of problematic forms of games ; mean | 1.14 | 2.07 |
<.001
|
−0.93
✝
|
−1.00;
|
−0.86
|
1.059**
|
SOGS: Total score; mean | 9.97 | 10.91 |
<.001
|
−0.94
✝
|
−1.33;
|
−0.54
✝
| 0.287 |
DSM-IV. Total criteria; mean | 6.92 | 7.38 |
<.001
|
−0.46
✝
|
−0.71;
|
−0.20
✝
| 0.219 |
SCL-90-R: Somatization; mean | 0.92 | 0.99 | .215 | −0.06 | −0.17; | 0.04 | 0.078 |
SCL-90-R: Obsessive/compulsive; mean | 1.09 | 1.20 |
.039
|
−0.11
✝
|
−0.21;
|
−0.01
✝
| 0.130 |
SCL-90-R: Interpersonal sensitivity; mean | 1.00 | 1.06 | .237 | −0.06 | −0.17; | 0.04 | 0.075 |
SCL-90-R: Depressive; mean | 1.42 | 1.57 |
.010
|
−0.15
✝
|
−0.27;
|
−0.04
✝
| 0.162 |
SCL-90-R: Anxiety; mean | 0.96 | 1.09 |
.013
|
−0.13
✝
|
−0.23;
|
−0.03
✝
| 0.155 |
SCL-90-R: Hostility; mean | 0.86 | 0.99 |
.016
|
−0.13
✝
|
−0.23;
|
−0.02
✝
| 0.151 |
SCL-90-R: Phobic anxiety; mean | 0.47 | 0.53 | .155 | −0.06 | −0.15; | 0.02 | 0.087 |
SCL-90-R: Paranoid Ideation; mean | 0.86 | 0.91 | .352 | −0.05 | −0.14; | 0.05 | 0.058 |
SCL-90-R: Psychotic; mean | 0.85 | 0.95 |
.034
|
−0.10
✝
|
−0.20;
|
−0.01
✝
| 0.132 |
SCL-90-R: GSI score; mean | 1.00 | 1.11 |
.019
|
−0.11
✝
|
−0.19;
|
−0.02
✝
| 0.146 |
Means
|
Means comparisons through ANOVA
| ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-SG
|
SG
|
Mean difference (MD) and effect size (Cohens’-d)
| |||||
(n=1,709)
|
(n=301)
|
p
|
MD
|
95% CI (ϕ)
|
d
| ||
TCI-R: Novelty seeking | 108.46 | 111.44 |
.002
|
−2.98
✝
|
−4.83;
|
-.13
✝
| 0.208 |
TCI-R: Harm avoidance | 101.45 | 100.41 | .356 | 1.04 | −1.17; | 3.24 | 0.061 |
TCI-R: Reward dependence | 99.82 | 100.38 | .589 | −0.56 | −2.57; | 1.46 | 0.036 |
TCI-R: Persistence | 110.45 | 109.68 | .571 | 0.77 | −1.91; | 3.46 | 0.037 |
TCI-R: Self-directedness | 127.58 | 126.31 | .370 | 1.27 | −1.51; | 4.05 | 0.059 |
TCI-R: Cooperativeness | 132.74 | 130.41 |
.045
|
2.33
✝
|
0.05;
|
4.61
✝
| 0.133 |
TCI-R: Self-Transcendence | 64.88 | 64.18 | .490 | 0.70 | −1.29; | 2.68 | 0.045 |
Contribution of gambling preference on psychopathology and severity of gambling
Outcomes→ |
SOGS
|
SCL-90-R
| |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
↓ Predictors
|
Total
|
Depression
|
Anxiety
|
GSI
|
PST
|
PSDI
| |
1st block
| |||||||
Sex: male |
-.056*
|
-.214*
|
-.214*
|
-.208*
|
-.138*
|
-.195*
| |
Age (years-old) |
.290*
|
.234*
|
.177*
|
.215*
|
.267*
|
.124*
| |
Age of onset (years-old) |
-.512*
|
-.206*
|
-.193*
|
-.211*
|
-.238*
|
-.109*
| |
Studies (primary or less) | -.026 | -.004 | .042 | .042 | .027 | .046 | |
Civil status (single) | -.049 |
.055*
| .040 |
.066*
|
.085*
| .024 | |
Block summary: R
2
|
.078
✝
|
.061
✝
|
.056
✝
|
.059
✝
|
.041
✝
|
.044
✝
| |
2nd block
| |||||||
Sex: male | -.005 |
-.117*
|
-.126*
|
-.118*
|
-.045*
|
-.129*
| |
Age (years-old) |
.235*
|
.097*
| .041 | .065 |
.105*
| .031 | |
Age of onset (years-old) |
-.372*
| -.068 | -.065 | -.070 |
-.102*
| .009 | |
Studies (primary or less) | -.036 |
-.056*
| -.016 | -.020 |
-.039*
| .011 | |
Civil status (single) |
-.074*
| -.022 | -.034 | -.016 | -.003 | -.026 | |
TCI-R: Novelty seeking |
.286*
|
.144*
|
.147*
|
.130*
|
.093*
|
.175*
| |
TCI-R: Harm avoidance | .050 |
.294*
|
.326*
|
.308*
|
.311*
|
.198*
| |
TCI-R: Reward dependence | .043 | -.041 | .011 | -.031 | -.010 |
-.062*
| |
TCI-R: Persistence | .047 |
.080*
|
.097*
|
.098*
|
.066*
|
.101*
| |
TCI-R: Self-directedness |
-.224*
|
-.346*
|
-.223*
|
-.292*
|
-.296*
|
-.234*
| |
TCI-R: Cooperativeness | -.053 | .032 |
-.100*
|
-.094*
|
-.110*
| -.003 | |
TCI-R: Self-Transcendence | .013 |
.119*
|
.185*
|
.193*
|
.213*
|
.106*
| |
Block summary: ΔR
2
|
.184
✝
|
.319
✝
|
.312
✝
|
.372
✝
|
.380
✝
|
.197
✝
| |
3rd block
| |||||||
Sex: male | -.009 |
-.120*
|
-.129*
|
-.121*
|
-.047*
|
-.132*
| |
Age (years-old) |
.238*
|
.099*
| .043 | .066 |
.106*
| .033 | |
Age of onset (years-old) |
-.373*
| -.070 | -.066 | -.072 |
-.103*
| .008 | |
Studies (primary or less) | -.022 |
-.045*
| -.006 | -.011 | -.033 | .019 | |
Civil status (single) |
-.079*
| -.026 | -.038 | -.019 | -.005 | -.028 | |
TCI-R: Novelty seeking |
.283*
|
.141*
|
.145*
|
.128*
|
.092*
|
.173*
| |
TCI-R: Harm avoidance | .052 |
.295*
|
.328*
|
.309*
|
.312*
|
.199*
| |
TCI-R: Reward dependence | .039 | -.043 | .008 | -.033 | -.012 |
-.064*
| |
TCI-R: Persistence | .049 |
.082*
|
.098*
|
.099*
|
.067*
|
.102*
| |
TCI-R: Self-directedness |
-.223*
|
-.346*
|
-.222*
|
-.291*
|
-.296*
|
-.234*
| |
TCI-R: Cooperativeness | -.047 | .037 |
-.097*
|
-.091*
|
-.107*
| .001 | |
TCI-R: Self-Transcendence | .013 |
.119*
|
.184*
|
.193*
|
.213*
|
.105*
| |
Gambling type (strategic) |
.087*
|
.064*
|
.059*
|
.057*
| .038 |
.051*
| |
Block summary: ΔR
2
|
.007
✝
|
.004
✝
|
.003
✝
|
.003
✝
|
.001
|
.002
✝
|