title: Prevalence of suicide attempts in pathological gamblers in a nationwide Austrian treatment sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For pathological gambling (PG), a 12-month prevalence rate of up to 0.66% has been reported. Multiple financial, occupational and relationship problems and losses, humiliation of the person and the environment are possible side effects and may lead to hopelessness, suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior. Suicide attempt rates among pathological gamblers of between 4% and 40% and suicidal ideation of between 12% and 92% have been reported.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims at assessing the prevalence of suicide attempts in PG and at elucidating differences between the patients with and without suicide attempt history (SAH) in a large nationwide Austrian sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2002 and 2011, the Austrian Society for the Research of Non-Substance Related Addiction collected 862 questionnaires of pathological gamblers undergoing outpatient and inpatient treatment for PG in Austria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (a) Of all pathological gamblers, 9.7% had an SAH. (b) The SAH group suffered significantly more from a comorbid disorder and was more often in previous inpatient treatments. (c) The SAH patients had a longer time of an abstinence period in their PG career.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One in 10 pathological gamblers has an SAH, demonstrating the relevance of suicidality in this population. Significant differences for several parameters were found for PG with and without SAH. However, a regression analysis only explained 15% of the variance. This suggests that suicidality must be considered in pathological gamblers in general.
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Christian-Doppler Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, KKH Prignitz, Germany.
authors.forename: U W
authors.initials: UW
authors.lastname: Preuss
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Christian-Doppler Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pölzleitner
authors.affiliation: Hospital de la Tour, Treffen, Austria.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Quantschnig
authors.affiliation: Hospital de la Tour, Treffen, Austria.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kühberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bischof
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Rumpf
authors.affiliation: Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Christian-Doppler Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. Electronic address: f.wurst@salk.at.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Wurst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Pathological gambling; Quality of life; Suicide attempt history