Alexithymia and pathological gambling.
The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between alexithymia and gambling in a community sample of pathological gamblers. Pathological, problem and non-problem gamblers were recruited from the community via advertisements and completed an assessment of their gambling behavior and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Alexithymia was higher among male pathological gamblers who identified slot machines, cards, and lotteries as their primary gambling problem. High alexithymics scored higher on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual symptoms related to poor self-regulation, communication, and problem-solving skills. Although a correlational study, the evidence suggests that further investigation of the clinical significance of alexithymia in individuals with severe gambling pathology is indicated.
Addiction Section, Clinical Research Department, Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2S1. tony toneatto@camh.net
Tony
T
Toneatto
Julia
J
Lecce
Michael
M
Bagby
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012727:Sex Characteristics