OBJECTIVES: To compare substance use, gambling behaviours and personality traits of two groups of individuals with pathological gambling disorder (young and adult patients); Explore the contribution of gender, age and personality traits to substance use and assess the ability to predict substance use from age and personality traits.
METHODS: The sample consisted of 428 patients with pathological gambling disorder (PJD), divided into two groups according to age (55 young patients [age ≤ 25 years] and 373 patients of middle age to advance [age > 25 years]). All patients were admitted to a psychiatry and diagnostic department according to DSM-IV criteria. In addition, other clinical assessments, including the Diagnostic Questionnaire for Pathological Gambling under DSM-IV criteria, the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R), have been used to examine gambling behaviours, substance use and personality.
RESULTS: When comparing the two age groups, we observed statistically significant differences for several sociodemographic variables. In addition, younger patients with PJT had a higher rate of substance use (p=0.010). In terms of personality traits, differences were noted only on the novelty search (RN) scale where younger patients scored high (p = 0.006). Higher (p = 0.022) scores on the novelty scale (RN) and lower (p = 0.028) on the self-transcendence scale represented personality traits with a significant interrelationship with tobacco use (p = 0.003). However, only age was associated with the use of other substances (p = 0.003).
CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm that pathological gambling disorder (PDD) is often concomitant with substance use. The interrelationship of PJT and tobacco, alcohol and other substance use has a range of clinical and personality implications, particularly in young populations. Since several studies have shown that the rate of PJT is higher in young people, the early onset of the disorder is often linked to increased severity and persistence of gambling problems. In addition, the presence of dual diagnosis (substance use) may complicate the response to treatment. For this reason, the study of young populations is of particular interest in order to design and implement treatment programs that address all the problems related to the clinical profiles of this age group.
