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Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 3/2008

01-03-2008 | ORIGINAL PAPER

Gender differences in the associations between past-year gambling problems and psychiatric disorders

Authors: Rani A. Desai, PhD, MPH, Marc N. Potenza, MD, PhD

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 3/2008

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Abstract

Background

Psychiatric disorders frequently co-occur with pathological gambling. The extent to which co-occurence extends to subsyndromal levels of gambling or differs between women and men is incompletely understood.

Aim

To examine whether the association between psychiatric disorders and past-year gambling problems is stronger in women than men.

Methods

Data from the national epidemiological survey of alcoholism and related disorders (NESARC) (n = 43,093) were analyzed.

Results

Increasing severity of past-year gambling problems was associated with increasing odds of most past-year Axis I and lifetime Axis II disorders, regardless of gender. Associations between gambling problems and major depression, dysthymia, panic disorder, and nicotine dependence were statistically stronger in women than in men.

Conclusions

A severity-related association exists between past-year gambling problems and psychiatric disorders. The stronger associations in women suggest that gambling research, prevention and treatment efforts consider gender differences.
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Metadata
Title
Gender differences in the associations between past-year gambling problems and psychiatric disorders
Authors
Rani A. Desai, PhD, MPH
Marc N. Potenza, MD, PhD
Publication date
01-03-2008
Publisher
D. Steinkopff-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 3/2008
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0283-z

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