Top

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

Published in:

01-01-2009

Female Pathological Gamblers—A Critical Review of the Clinical Findings

Authors: Hanne Gro Wenzel, Alv A. Dahl

Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction | Issue 1/2009

Abstract

Recent evidence indicates that more and more women gamble and develop gambling problems and pathological gambling (PG). Research has further indicated that female and male PGs differ in their clinical characteristics. The aim of this study is to do a critical review of the literature concerning clinical characteristics of female pathological gamblers (PGs) compared to males. We searched Medline/PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, The Cochrane Library, Sociological Abstracts and Gender Studies databases from 1970 to 2007 for clinical issues related to female PGs. The searches identified 399 abstracts and 28 papers which were included in the review. The studies had a high frequency of methodological shortcomings. They indicated that gender differences exist in demographic characteristics, gambling behavior and consequences, as well as treatment needs. Further research should be done with adequate designs, and particularly focus on clinical issues relevant for treatment planning in the therapies of female PGs.

American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

*Blanco, C., Hasin, D. S., Petry, N., et al. (2006). Sex differences in subclinical and DSM-IV pathological gambling: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Psychological Medicine, 36, 943–953.PubMedCrossRef

Boughton, R., & Falenchuk, O. (2007). Vulnerability and comorbidity factors of female problem gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 23, 323–334.CrossRef

*Breen, R. B., & Zimmerman, M. (2002). Rapid onset of pathological gambling in machine gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studies, 18, 31–43.PubMedCrossRef

Bruce, A., & Johnson, J. (1994). Male and female betting behaviour: new perspectives. Journal of Gambling Studies, 10, 183–194.CrossRef

Coventry, K. R., & Hudson, J. (2001). Gender differences, physiological arousal and the role of winning in fruit machine gamblers. Addiction, 96, 871–879.PubMedCrossRef

*Crisp, B. R., Thomas, S. A., Jackson, A. C., et al. (2000). Sex-differences in the treatment needs and outcomes of problem gamblers. Research on Social Work Practice, 10, 229–242.

*Crisp, B. R., Thomas, S. A., Jackson, A. C., et al. (2004). Not the same: a comparison of female and male clients seeking treatment from problem gambling counselling services. Journal of Gambling Studies, 20, 283–299.PubMedCrossRef

*Dannon, P. N., Lowengrub, K., Shalgi, B., et al. (2006). Dual psychiatric diagnosis and substance abuse in pathological gamblers: a preliminary gender comparison study. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 25, 49–54.PubMedCrossRef

*Getty, H. A., Watson, J., & Frisch, G. R. (2000). A comparison of depression styles of coping in male and female GA members and controls. Journal of Gambling Studies, 16, 377–391.PubMedCrossRef

*Grant, J. E., & Kim, S. W. (2002). Gender differences in pathological gamblers seeking medication treatment. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 43, 56–62.PubMedCrossRef

Grant, J. E., & Kim, S. W. (2004). In J. E. Grant, & M. N. Potenza (Eds.), Gender differences, in pathological gambling: A clinical guide to treatment (pp. 97–109). Washington, DC, USA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

*Hing, N., & Breen, H. (2001). Profiling lady luck: an empirical study of gambling and problem gambling amongst female club members. Journal of Gambling Studies, 17, 47–69.PubMedCrossRef

*Hodgins, D. C., & El-Guebaly, N. (2004). Retrospective and prospective reports of precipitants to relapse in pathological gambling. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 72–80.PubMedCrossRef

Hong, Y. Y., & Chiu, C. Y. (1988). Sex, locus of control, and illusion of control in Hong Kong as correlates of gambling involvement. Journal of Social Psychology, 128, 667–673.PubMed

*Hraba, J., & Lee, G. (1996). Gender, gambling and problem gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 12, 83–101.CrossRef

*Ibáñez, A., Blanco, C., Moreryra, P., et al. (2003). Gender differences in pathological gambling. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 64, 295–301.PubMed

Johnson, K., & McLure, S. (1997). Women and gambling: a progress report on research in the western region of Melbourne. In G. Coman, B. Evans, & R. Wooton (Eds.), Responsible gambling: a future winner. Proceedings of the Eighth National Conference Association for Gambling Studies, Melbourne, pp. 204–208.

*Ladd, G. T., & Petry, N. M. (2002). Gender differences among pathological gamblers seeking treatment. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 10, 302–309.PubMedCrossRef

*LaPlante, D. A., Nelson, S. E., LaBrie, R. A., et al. (2006). Men and women playing games: gender and the gambling preferences of Iowa Gambling Treatment Program participants. Journal of Gambling Studies, 22, 65–80.PubMedCrossRef

*Ledgerwood, D. M., & Petry, N. M. (2006). Psychological experience of gambling and subtypes of pathological gamblers. Psychiatry Research, 144, 17–27.PubMedCrossRef

Lesieur, H. R. (1987a). The female pathological gambler. In W. R. Eadington (Ed.), Seventh international conference on gambling and risk taking (pp. 230–258). Reno, Nevada: University of Nevada Press.

Lesieur, H. R., & Blume, S. B. (1987b). The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS): a new instrument for the identification of pathological gamblers. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 1884–1888.

Lesieur, H. R., & Blume, S. B. (1991). When lady luck looses: women and compulsive gambling. In N. van Den Bergh (Ed.), Feminist perspectives on treating addictions (pp. 187–197). New York: Springer.

Lindgren, H. E., Youngs, G. A., McDonald, T. D., et al. (1987). The impact of gender on gambling attitudes and behavior. Journal of Gambling Studies, 3, 155–167.CrossRef

Lorenz, V. C., & Yaffee, R. A. (1986). Pathological gambling: psychosomatic, emotional and marital difficulties as reported by the gambler. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2, 40–49.CrossRef

Lorenz, V. C., & Yaffee, R. A. (1988). Pathological gambling: psychosomatic, emotional and marital difficulties as reported by the spouse. Journal of Gambling Behavior, 4, 13–26.CrossRef

*Martins, S. S., Lobo, D. S. S., Tavares, H., et al. (2002). Pathological gambling in women: A review. Brazil: Revista do Hospital das Clínicas.

*Martins, S. S., Tavares, H., Sabbatini da Silva Lobo, D., et al. (2004). Pathological gambling, gender, and risk-taking behaviors. Addictive Behaviors, 29, 1231–1235.PubMedCrossRef

*Nelson, S. E., LaPlante, D. A., LaBrie, R. A., et al. (2006). The proxy effect: gender and gambling problems trajectories of Iowa gambling treatment program participants. Journal of Gambling Studies, 22, 221–240.CrossRef

*Nower, L., & Blaszcynski, A. (2006). Characteristics and gender differences among self-excluded casino problem gamblers: Missouri data. Journal of Gambling Studies, 22, 81–99.PubMedCrossRef

*O’Connor, J., & Dickerson, M. (2003). Impaired control over gambling in gaming machine and off-course gamblers. Addiction, 98, 53–60.PubMedCrossRef

Ohtsuka, K., Bruton, E., Borg, V., et al. (1995). Gender differences in pathological gamblers using gaming machines. In Freemantle (Ed.), High stakes in the nineties. Sixth National Conference on the National Association of Gambling Studies (pp. 163–172). Australia: Curtin University Press.

Ohtsuka, K., Bruton, E., DeLuca, L., et al. (1997). Sex differences in pathological gambling using gaming machines. Psychological Reports, 80, 1051–1057.PubMed

*Petry, N. M. (2003). A comparison of treatment-seeking pathological gamblers based on preferred gambling activity. Addiction, 98, 645–655.PubMedCrossRef

*Petry, N. M., Avants, S. K., Burns, P., et al. (2005a). Childhood maltreatment in male and female treatment-seeking pathological gamblers. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 19, 226–229.PubMedCrossRef

*Petry, N. M., Stinson, F. S., & Grant, B. F. (2005b). Comorbidity of DSM-IV pathological gambling and other psychiatric disorders: results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 66, 564–574.PubMedCrossRef

Piazza, N. J., Vrbka, J. L., & Yeager, R. D. (1989). Telescoping of alcoholism in women alcoholics. The International Journal of the Addictions, 4, 226–229.

*Pierce, M., Wentzel, J., Loughnan, T. (Eds.) (1997). Male gamblers/female gamblers—mapping the differences. Responsible gambling: A future winner. Proceedings of the Eight National Conference Association for Gambling Studies, Melbourne.

*Potenza, M. N., Steinberg, M. A., McLaughlin, S. D., et al. (2001). Gender-related differences in the characteristics of problem gamblers using a gambling help-line. American Journal of Psychiatry, 158, 1500–1505.PubMedCrossRef

Randal, C. L., Roberts, J. S., Del Boca, F. K., et al. (1999). Telescoping of landmark events associated with drinking: a gender comparison. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 60, 252–260.

Scannel, E. D., Quirk, M. M., Smith, K., et al. (2000). Females’ coping styles and control over poker machine gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 16, 417–432.CrossRef

Shaw, M. C., Forbush, K. T., Schlinder, J., et al. (2007). The effect of pathological gambling on families, marriages, and children. CNS Spectrums, 12, 615–622.PubMed

*Tavares, H., Martins, S. S., Lobo, D. S., et al. (2003). Factors at play in faster progression for female pathological gamblers: an exploratory analysis. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 64, 433–438.PubMedCrossRef

*Tavares, H., Zilberman, M. L., Beites, F. J., et al. (2001). Gender differences in gambling progression. Journal of Gambling Studies, 17, 151–159.PubMedCrossRef

Thomas, S. (1995). ‘More than a flutter’: Women and problem gambling. In Freemantle (Ed.), High stakes in the nineties. Sixth National Conference of the National Association of Gambling Studies (pp. 99–105). Australia: Curtin University Press.

*Trevorrow, K., & Moore, S. (1998). The association between loneliness, social isolation and women’s electronic gaming machine gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 14, 263–284.CrossRef

*Welte, J. W., Barnes, G. M., Wieczorek, W. F., et al. (2002). Gambling participation in the U.S.—results from a national survey. Journal of Gambling Studies, 18, 313–337.PubMedCrossRef

Title: Female Pathological Gamblers—A Critical Review of the Clinical Findings
Authors: Hanne Gro Wenzel
Alv A. Dahl
Publication date: 01-01-2009
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction / Issue 1/2009
Print ISSN: 1557-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1882
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-008-9174-0

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Female Pathological Gamblers—A Critical Review of the Clinical Findings

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2009

Introducing the Hero Complex and the Mythic Iconic Pathway of Problem Gambling

Congruence Couple Therapy for Pathological Gambling

Factors Associated with the Severity of Gambling Problems in a Community Gambling Treatment Agency

Cultural Icons and Marketing of Gambling

Slot Machines: Pursuing Responsible Gaming Practices for Virtual Reels and Near Misses

Gambling Awareness for Youth: An Analysis of the “Don’t Gamble Away our Future™” Program