title: Past-year gambling behaviour among patients receiving opioid substitution treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Substance abuse and gambling problems are associated, however, studies on gambling problems among opioid substitution treatment (OST) patients are scarce. The aims of this study are to explore the association of gender, age, treatment medication and treatment program with gambling behaviour, including gambling participation and gambling problems, among OST patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All OST patients (n = 244) in three Finnish outpatient clinics were recruited in March - April 2014. The response rate was 64.3%. OST programs included two choices of orientation (rehabilitative/harm reduction) and two choices for treatment medication (methadone/buprenorphine-naloxone). Of 144 respondents, 70.1% had gambled during the past year and 12.5% were identified as potential past-year problem gamblers. Gambling was statistically significant more commonly among males (79.8%) compared with females (53.7%). Similarly patients in the rehabilitative program gambled (75.9%) more than those in the harm reduction program (50.0%). Gender, age, treatment medication or treatment program was not associated with past-year gambling problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gambling participation of the OST patients seemed to be somewhat similar compared with the Finnish general population, but gambling problems were more common among OST patients. Gender and age may not be very strong indicators of risk while screening problem gamblers among OST patients. Institution of a problem gambling screening program is recommended, and additional intervention for gambling problems should be implemented for that need as a part of OST.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tobacco, Gambling and Addiction, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FIN-00271, Helsinki, Finland. sari.castren@thl.fi.|Internal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. sari.castren@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castrén
authors.affiliation: Department of Tobacco, Gambling and Addiction, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FIN-00271, Helsinki, Finland. anne.salonen@thl.fi.|Internal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. anne.salonen@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Anne H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Salonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Tobacco, Gambling and Addiction, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FIN-00271, Helsinki, Finland. hannu.alho@thl.fi.|Internal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. hannu.alho@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alho
authors.affiliation: Department of Tobacco, Gambling and Addiction, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FIN-00271, Helsinki, Finland. tuuli.lahti@thl.fi.|Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Philosophy, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. tuuli.lahti@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Tuuli
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. kaarlo.simojoki@a-klinikka.fi.|A-clinic Foundation, Maistraatinportti 2, 00240, Helsinki, Finland. kaarlo.simojoki@a-klinikka.fi.
authors.forename: Kaarlo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Simojoki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069479:Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005715:Gambling / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000069479:Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009294:Narcotics; D002047:Buprenorphine; D008691:Methadone