Risk Factors for Problem and Pathological Gambling in Consumers with Schizophrenia Rani A. Desai, MPH, PhD., Laura B. Kozma, BA, Marc N. Potenza, MD, PhD Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

1
Risk Factors for Problem and Pathological
Gambling in Consumers with SchizophreniaRani A.
Desai, MPH, PhD., Laura B. Kozma, BA, Marc N.
Potenza, MD, PhDYale University School of
Medicine, New Haven, CT

• Introduction
• Studies have shown lifetime prevalence rates
  of problem
• gambling in the general population between
  0.8 and 1.5
• (Kallick et al. 1979, NORC 1999, Shaffer
  Hall 1997)
• Cunningham-Williams et al. found that problem
  gamblers
• were more likely to suffer from psychiatric
  disorders than
• non-gamblers
• People with schizophrenia are vulnerable to
  alcohol and
• substance related disorders (Slutske et al.
  2000)
• Hypotheses
• A higher proportion of problem gamblers will
  be found in
• this sample than in the general population
• Problem gamblers will be more likely to suffer
  from alcohol
• abuse

Results
Chi-square and ANOVA results for clinical and
functional measures 1Only
significant results (p.05) are presented
Risk Factors for Recreation and
Problem/Pathological Gamblers
Recreational Recreational Problem/Pathological Problem/Pathological
Variable OR p OR p
Age, yrs 0.98 .057 0.98 .137
Gender 2.00 .023 1.67 .194
Single 0.74 .289 2.04 .056
PANSS (neg) 0.58 .006 0.61 .058
Alcohol (ASI) 1.10 .424 1.42 .007
Depression 1.01 .541 1.03 .035
Outpatient MH visit 2.27 .050 5.56 .028
ER visit 2.08 .095 0.63 .438
Threatened violence 0.36 .077 1.08 .894
Time w/sig. other 1.16 .066 1.31 .008
Variable NG RG PPG
Arrested 81 (52.3) 82 (70.1) 47 (72.3)
Ever incarcerated 54 (34.8) 53 (45.3) 37 (57.8)
Threatened to injure other 13 (8.4) 5 (4.3) 10 (15.6)
Psychiatrist, clinician visit 131 (84.5) 107 (91.5) 62 (95.4)
ASI alcohol 0.06 (0.12)a 0.08 (0.12)ab 0.12 (0.02)b
CES-D (depression) 22.9 (12.3)a 23.8 (12.1)ab 27.7 (9.4)b

• Method
• 337 consumers diagnosed with schizophrenia
  were recruited
• and interviewed
• 28.5 female
• 56.1 White/Caucasian
• Mean age 46.9 11.0
• Participants were interviewed on several
  measures including
• Schizophrenia Care and Assessment Health
• Questionnaire (Lehman et al. 2003)
• South Oaks Gambling Screen (Lesieur Blume
  1987)
• NORC DSM Screen for Gambling Problems (NORC
  1999)
• Diagnostic Interview Schedule (Robins et al.
  1981)
• The sample was then divided into three groups
  Non-
• Gamblers (NG) (46.0), Recreational Gamblers
  (RG)
• (34.7), and Problem/Pathological Gamblers
  (PPG) (19.3)
• using the NORC DSM Screen for Gambling
  Problems.
• Chi-square and ANOVA analyses were performed
  to evaluate

Comparison of RG and PPG on Gambling
Characteristics Significantly more PPGs
reported gambling for excitement (p.000), first
gambling before the age of 18 (p.037) and
gambled more days in the previous year then RGs
(144.1, 40.2, p.000).

• Discussion
• As hypothesized, a higher proportion of
  problem gamblers were found in this is sample
  than other studies have found in the general
  population suggesting that consumers with
  schizophrenia may be at a higher risk for being a
  problem or pathological gambler
• Problem/pathological gamblers were scored
  significantly higher of the ASI Alcohol scale
  compared to non gamblers, additionally, it was
  also a risk factor for being a problem/pathologica
  l gambler which both warrants both more research
  and highlights potential clinical implications
  for treatment