title: Problem Gambling and the Youth-to-Adulthood Transition: Assessing Problem Gambling Severity Trajectories in a Sample of Young Adults.
abstract: In this study, using four wave longitudinal data, we examined problem gambling severity trajectories in a sample of young adults. Using latent growth curve modeling, we examined how initial level of problem gambling severity and the rate of change were affected by 11 time-invariant predictors: gender, age of onset of gambling, experiencing a big win early in gambling career, experiencing a big loss early in gambling career, alcohol dependence, drug dependence, anxiety, depression, perceived social support, illusion of control, and impulsiveness. Five of the eleven predictors affected initial levels of problem gambling severity; however only impulsiveness affected the rate of change across time. The mean trajectory was negative (lessening of problem gambling risk severity across time), but there was significant inter-individual variation in trajectories and initial levels of problem gambling severity. The main finding of problem gambling risk diminishing over time challenges the conventional picture of problem gambling as an inevitable "downward spiral," at least among young adults, and suggests that targeted prevention campaigns may be a cost-effective alternative for reaching treatment resistant youth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Manitoba, 318 Isbister Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada. J.Edgerton@ad.umanitoba.ca.
authors.forename: Jason D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Edgerton
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Melnyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Manitoba, 318 Isbister Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada.
authors.forename: Lance W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D012933:Social Identification; D012944:Social Support; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Latent growth curve modeling; Problem gambling; Risk levels; Risk/protective factors; Young adults