TY - JOUR
T1 - Treatment-Seeking Problem Gamblers
T2 - Characteristics of Individuals Who Offend to Finance Gambling
AU - Roberts, Amanda
AU - Sharman, Stephen
AU - King, Matthew
AU - Bayston, Andy
AU - Bowden-Jones, Henrietta
N1 - Funding Information:
The National Problem Gambling Clinic in London is partly funded by the NHS and partly funded by GambleAware, a charity that receives gambling industry funds and distributes these to treatment agencies in the UK.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, The Author(s).
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - The relationship between crime and gambling is well established; however, few studies have examined offending specifically to finance gambling within a UK gambling treatment-seeking population. A total of 1226 treatment-seeking gamblers completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 item scale, and were asked whether they had committed any illegal behaviours to finance gambling. A total of 42.5% reported offending behaviour. A greater proportion of the offending group was single or married/cohabiting, had a lower level qualifications, lower income, had experienced childhood abuse, family mental health problems and gambling-related harms compared with the non-offending group. Offenders reported higher anxiety, depression and disordered gambling scores. Disordered gamblers who offend make up a discrete and complex subgroup with distinct vulnerabilities. Findings will be useful to clinicians involved in the assessment and management of problematic gambling. Gamblers who offend to finance gambling may have different treatment needs and treatment providers should administer appropriate clinical interventions to address vulnerabilities.
AB - The relationship between crime and gambling is well established; however, few studies have examined offending specifically to finance gambling within a UK gambling treatment-seeking population. A total of 1226 treatment-seeking gamblers completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 item scale, and were asked whether they had committed any illegal behaviours to finance gambling. A total of 42.5% reported offending behaviour. A greater proportion of the offending group was single or married/cohabiting, had a lower level qualifications, lower income, had experienced childhood abuse, family mental health problems and gambling-related harms compared with the non-offending group. Offenders reported higher anxiety, depression and disordered gambling scores. Disordered gamblers who offend make up a discrete and complex subgroup with distinct vulnerabilities. Findings will be useful to clinicians involved in the assessment and management of problematic gambling. Gamblers who offend to finance gambling may have different treatment needs and treatment providers should administer appropriate clinical interventions to address vulnerabilities.
KW - Crime
KW - Disordered Gambling
KW - Gambling
KW - Illegal behaviour
KW - Mental Health
KW - Treatment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077039550&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11469-019-00192-0
DO - 10.1007/s11469-019-00192-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85077039550
SN - 1557-1874
JO - International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
JF - International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
ER -
