Adolescent Gambling: A Narrative Review of Behavior and Its Predictors

Red Light or Green Light? Netflix Series' Squid Game Influence on Young Adults' Gambling-Related Beliefs, Attitudes and Behaviors, and the Role of Audience Involvement

Media exposure for dark consumption products mostly shows glamorized and positive portrayals, rarely showing the negative consequences of consuming those products. However, the Netflix series Squid Game addresses the issue of gambling in its most extreme forms and shows the negative consequences related to it in a shocking manner, which begs the question whether watching the series could act as a preventive tool to increase risk perceptions, de-normalize gambling and reduce gambling behavior. A pre-registered survey study (N = 271) examined whether watching the Netflix series Squid Game affected young adults' (18 to 35 years old) gambling intentions and play behavior through risk perceptions, subjective norms and attitudes toward gambling, and what role audience involvement plays. Although the results show that watching Squid Game increased young adults' subjective norms of gambling (i.e. belief that significant others approve of the behavior in question) and further increased their positive attitudes toward gambling and gambling intention, the study also found an important impact of audience involvement. Audiences who were more involved with the series saw greater risks of gambling and perceived gambling to be less common. This resulted in more negative attitudes toward gambling and further less gambling intention and more motivation to change gambling behavior due to watching Squid Game.

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Problem Gambling in New Mexico

The study of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) has consistently demonstrated a strong relationship with poor behavioral health outcomes. Further research is needed to understand if a specific ACE, or subcategorizations of ACEs, matter more for behavioral health outcomes. A study of the association between ACEs and problem gambling involving a racially mixed sample (13,217 participants) in New Mexico is presented to illustrate how certain ACEs may have a larger impact on behavioral health outcomes. The researchers examined: 1.) the impact that each individual ACE have on participant's reported problem gambling; 2) which group (abuse or household challenges) had a greater odds ratio and marginal impact on participant's self-reported gambling; and 3) which BRFSS subcategories (emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, IPV, substance abuse, mental illness, parental separation or divorce, and incarcerated household member) had a greater odds ratio and marginal impact on participant's self-reported gambling. The results of this study indicate ACEs had a significant influence on problem gambling, and data suggests that when BRFSS data is examined in groups or subcategories there is a difference in the influence that ACEs have on problem gambling. In particular, we found that odds ratio to be significant when participants reported mental health problems in the home (OR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.02, 1.76], p < 0.04), living with incarcerated household members (OR = 1.75, 95% CI [1.28, 2.41], p < 0.001), how often adults hit each other (OR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.10, 1.52], p < 0.001), and how often anyone at least 5 years older than them forced them to have sex (OR = 1.42, 95% CI [1.10, 1.82], p < 0.01) In relation to types of abuse, There was a significant difference in self-reported problem gambling for individuals who reported sexual abuse (OR = 1.64, 95% CI [1.10, 2.46], p < 0.016), as well as participants reporting living with an incarcerated household member (OR = 2.08, 95% CI [1.34, 3.22], p < 0.001); approaching significant results also included individuals who witnessed their parents act violent towards one another (OR = 1.52, 95% CI [.99, 2.33], p < 0.055), and having parents who were separated or divorced (OR = 0.68, 95% CI [0.46, 1.00], p < 0.053). Finally, there was a significant difference in self-reported problem gambling for individuals who reported abuse (OR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.11, 1.66], p < 0.003), while participants reporting household challenges did not quite reach statistical significance (OR = 1.49, 95% CI [0.99, 1.33], p < 0.062. These findings show us that the way we ask questions about the precedence and outcomes of risky behavior matter and warrant further attention.

Adult Gambling Problems and Histories of Mental Health and Substance Use: Findings from a Prospective Multi-Wave Australian Cohort Study

Little is known about the cumulative effect of adolescent and young adult mental health difficulties and substance use problems on gambling behaviour in adulthood. We use data from one of Australia's longest running studies of social and emotional development to examine the extent to which: (1) mental health symptoms (depressive and anxiety symptoms) and substance use (weekly binge drinking, tobacco, and cannabis use) from adolescence (13-18 years) into young adulthood (19-28 years) predict gambling problems in adulthood (31-32 years); and (2) risk relationships differ by sex. Analyses were based on responses from 1365 adolescent and young adult participants, spanning seven waves of data collection (1998-2014). Persistent adolescent to young adult binge drinking, tobacco use and cannabis use predicted gambling at age 31-32 years (OR = 2.30-3.42). Binge drinking and tobacco use in young adulthood also predicted gambling at age 31-32 years (OR = 2.04-2.54). Prior mental health symptoms were not associated with gambling and no risk relationships differed by sex. Findings suggest that gambling problems in adulthood may be related to the earlier development of other addictive behaviours, and that interventions targeting substance use from adolescence to young adulthood may confer additional gains in preventing later gambling behaviours.

How coping styles, cognitive distortions, and attachment predict problem gambling among adolescents and young adults

Background and aims Recent research suggests that youth problem gambling is associated with several factors, but little is known how these factors might influence or interact each other in predicting this behavior. Consequently, this is the first study to examine the mediation effect of coping styles in the relationship between attachment to parental figures and problem gambling. Methods A total of 988 adolescents and emerging adults were recruited to participate. The first set of analyses tested the adequacy of a model comprising biological, cognitive, and family variables in predicting youth problem gambling. The second set of analyses explored the relationship between family and individual variables in problem gambling behavior. Results The results of the first set of analyses demonstrated that the individual factors of gender, cognitive distortions, and coping styles showed a significant predictive effect on youth problematic gambling, and the family factors of attachment and family structure did not reveal a significant influence on this behavior. The results of the second set of analyses demonstrated that the attachment dimension of angry distress exerted a more indirect influence on problematic gambling, through emotion-focused coping style. Discussion This study revealed that some family variables can have a more indirect effect on youth gambling behavior and provided some insights in how some factors interact in predicting problem gambling. Conclusion These findings suggest that youth gambling is a multifaceted phenomenon, and that the indirect effects of family variables are important in estimating the complex social forces that might influence adolescent decisions to gamble.

Psychosoziale Risikoindikatoren regelmäßiger und riskanter Glücksspielnutzung im Jugendalter

Mit der vorliegenden Studie werden die regelmäßige, riskante und problematische Glücksspielnutzung sowie psychosoziale Risikoindikatoren des Glücksspielkonsums im Jugendalter untersucht. Datengrundlage bildet eine für Niedersachsen repräsentative Dunkelfeldbefragung mit 11 003 Neuntklässlern. Zur Klassifikation wurde der Glücksspiel-Screen DSM-IV-MR-J eingesetzt. Auf Basis theoretisch abgeleiteter Risikoindikatoren aus den Bereichen Soziodemographie, Person, Freizeit-, Problemverhalten, Familie, Peers und Schule/Nachbarschaft wurden binär logistische Mehrebenen-Regressionsanalysen zur Vorhersage regelmäßiger und riskanter Glücksspielnutzung durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass das Glücksspielverhalten bei Jugendlichen von kommerziellen Angeboten dominiert wird. 3.5 % der Jugendlichen weisen eine regelmäßige, 1.1 % eine riskante und 0.3 % eine problematische Glücksspielnutzung auf. Jungen sind in allen glücksspielaffinen Gruppen deutlich stärker vertreten. Bedeutsame Prädiktorvariablen für regelmäßige und riskante Glücksspielnutzung sind neben dem Geschlecht und dem Migrationshintergrund, eine erhöhte Gewaltakzeptanz und eine Sportvereinsmitgliedschaft. Alkohol- und Drogenkonsum sowie insbesondere der Freundeskreis prädizieren ein regelmäßiges Glücksspielverhalten, während Gewalttäterschaft sowie Variablen aus dem Bereich Schule/Nachbarschaft ein riskantes Glücksspielverhalten vorhersagen.

Country- and individual-level determinants of probable problematic gambling in adolescence: a multi-level cross-national comparison

AIMS

To estimate the role of family and socio-economic indicators of welfare state in accounting for probable problem gambling during adolescence in a representative sample of students living in nine European countries.

DESIGN

Data from the 2011 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) Study were used for cross-sectional analyses of adolescent probable problem gambling.

SETTING

Representative surveys in nine European countries.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 31 236 16-year-old students.

MEASUREMENTS

Respondents' probable problem gambling, socio-demographic characteristics and parenting (regulation, monitoring and caring) were measured individually. Indicators of wealth (gross domestic product per capita, GDP), expenditure on public health (% GDP) and benefit in kind for families/children (% GDP) were obtained from national public databases.

FINDINGS

Students who perceived more parental caring [odds ratio (OR) = 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.85-0.98] and monitoring (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.53-0.62) reported less involvement in probable problem gambling. Moreover, students who perceived stronger parental regulation (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.09-1.23) were more likely to be possible problematic gamblers. At the country level, expenditure on public health was associated negatively with probable problem gambling (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.78-0.97), whereas GDP per capita (OR = 1, 95% CI = 1.00-1.00) and the benefits in kind for families/children (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.89-1.51) showed no association with probable problem gambling.

CONCLUSIONS

Family characteristics and expenditure on public health may play a key role in explaining probable problem gambling among adolescents in Europe.