title: Pathological gamblers and a non-psychiatric control group taking gender differences into account.
abstract: The current study aimed to identify personality traits, emotional states and adjustment variables in a sample of pathological gamblers as compared to a non-gambling control group taking gender differences into account. The sample for this study consisted of 206 subjects (103 pathological gamblers and 103 non-psychiatric subjects from the general population matched for age and gender). Pathological gamblers had a lower educational level and a family history of alcohol abuse higher than non-gamblers. In turn, female gamblers were affected by unemployment and a lower socioeconomic status more often than female non-gamblers. Pathological gamblers were more anxious and impulsive and suffered from a poorer self-esteem than non-gamblers. Likewise, pathological gamblers had a greater history of other Axis I psychiatric disorders and were more often affected by anxiety and depression symptoms and showed a more problematic adjustment to everyday life than non-gamblers. Alcohol abuse was not higher in pathological gamblers than in non-gamblers, but, when gender was taken into account, male gamblers were more affected by alcohol abuse than male non-gamblers. Importantly 68.6% of female gamblers versus 9.8% of control group women reported being victims of intimate partner violence. These findings can be used to specifically inform prevention and intervention efforts.
authors.affiliation: Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU (Spain).
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Echeburúa
authors.forename: Itxaso
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: González-Ortega
authors.forename: Paz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Corral
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Polo-López
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D004644:Emotions; D004651:Employment; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010551:Personality; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data