title: Clinical and cognitive correlates of young adult at-risk gamblers with and without depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression is commonly found among young adults who have problems with gambling. Although depression and gambling frequently co-occur, it is unclear whether this relationship has clinical or cognitive importance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study analyzed 215 young adults (age 18 to 29) with "at-risk" gambling behavior. Scores on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview were used to assess lifetime major depressive disorder. The participants were categorized by 2 groups: those with (81 [37.7%]) and those without (134 [62.3%]) depressive symptoms. The groups were compared using various measures assessing gambling severity, quality of life, comorbidity, and psychosocial dysfunction, as well as various cognitive tasks assessing impulsivity and working memory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with depression who gambled had significantly worse gambling urges and behaviors. In addition, they reported significantly higher rates of anxiety (P < .001), suicidality (P < .001), alcohol (P = .036) and substance dependence (P = .009), compulsive buying (P = .004), and lower quality of life (P = .007). The depressed participants also demonstrated significantly greater impairments on cognitive tasks assessing spatial working memory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This research suggests that at-risk gamblers with depression differ clinically and cognitively from at-risk gamblers without depressive symptoms. These findings may have implications for treatment interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL USA.
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Redden
authors.forename: Eric W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Leppink
authors.forename: Jon E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003192:Compulsive Behavior; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012306:Risk; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D055815:Young Adult