title: Alterations in the Emotional Regulation Process in Gambling Addiction: The Role of Anger and Alexithymia.
abstract: This study aims at the assessment of alexithymia and anger levels in 100 treatment-seeking pathological gamblers compared with controls, who were matched for age, gender and education. Furthermore a positive correlation between alexithymia, anger and severity of gambling disorder and a relationship between gambling behaviour and anger after controlling for alexithymia, are investigated. Finally the role that gender plays in anger in pathological gamblers was also evaluated. Psychological assessment includes the South Oaks Gambling Screen, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 and the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Statistical analysis of the results shows a higher level of anger in pathological gamblers than in controls, together with alterations in emotional processing. Severity of gambling behaviour positively correlates with alexithymia scores, state-anger and trait-anger. Moreover, a significant contribution of anger in predicting gambling behaviour was suggested after controlling for alexithymia. In conclusion, anger and alexithymia must be regarded as relevant components of the assessment of pathological gamblers, in order to select the best therapeutical strategies to prevent self-defeating behaviours and to reduce drop-out from treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. giuseppemaniaci@icloud.com.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maniaci
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Addiction, ASP Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Picone
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ruth J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Holst
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bolloni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Addiction, ASP Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scardina
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Maternal Care, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cannizzaro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D000786:Anger; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory
keywords: Alexithymia; Anger; Behavioural addiction; Disordered Gambling; Gambling disorder; Pathological gambling