title: College students' gambling behavior: when does it become harmful?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors investigated behavioral indicators of pathological gambling in a college student sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors administered a diagnostic interview for pathological gambling to 159 college students, who also completed a demographic questionnaire, and a self-report measure of psychological distress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consistent patterns of gambling behavior associated with pathological gambling included gambling more than 1.2 times per month, gambling more than 2.1 hours per month, intending to wager more than 6.1% of monthly income, and wagering more than 10.5% of monthly income. In addition, the combination of psychological distress, gambling frequency, and a history of parental gambling problems was significantly associated with pathological gambling in college students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest initial markers of problematic gambling behavior in a college sample that may be used in assessment, prevention, and intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030-3944, USA. weinstock@psychiatry.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Jeremiah
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weinstock
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Whelan
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meyers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities