title: Comorbidity of impulse control disorders in pathological gamblers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the rate of impulse control disorders among pathological gamblers and examine the relationship of comorbidity to gambling severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-six adult pathological gamblers [mean age: 46.7 +/- 11.0 years; female: 44 (45.8%)] completed the following: Minnesota Impulsive Disorders Interview, Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Modified for Pathological Gambling, and Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two subjects (22.9%) reported a comorbid impulse control disorder, most commonly compulsive sexual behaviour and compulsive buying. Subjects with comorbidity reported significantly greater intensity of urges (t = -2.021; df = 94; P = 0.046) and thoughts (t = -2.147; df = 42.3; P = 0.038) related to gambling, and greater interference (t = -3.913; df = 48.1; P < 0.001) and distress (t = -2.504; df = 52.7; P = 0.015) secondary to gambling urges and thoughts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Impulse control disorders appear common among pathological gamblers and are associated with more severe gambling symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454-1495, USA. grant045@umn.edu
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index