Gambling is an activity where individuals wager something of value on a random event with the hope of winning something else of value. It is a common and widely practiced recreational activity around the world. Although most people who gamble do so responsibly, a small proportion of individuals develop a gambling disorder, in which they have serious problems with their behavior.
There are many different forms of gambling, from casino games to sports betting to lotteries. Some forms of gambling are more addictive than others, but research has found a number of psychological features that are shared across all types of gambling activities. These include:
In addition, there are several important factors that influence whether a person becomes addicted to gambling. Some of these are:
While most people who participate in gambling do so because they enjoy the thrill and excitement that comes with it, some people become unable to control their gambling and end up losing large amounts of money. This can have a negative impact on their personal and family lives, as well as their finances. Some people also begin to experience feelings of depression and anxiety as a result of gambling problems.
In some cases, people turn to gambling to try and manage financial pressures or stressors in their lives. This can be especially problematic during times of economic uncertainty or crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic when job insecurity and financial pressures increased. Speculative stock trading, for example, is a form of gambling that has seen a spike in popularity among people struggling with these issues.
Despite the fact that most people who engage in gambling do so responsibly, it is estimated that 2.5 million adults (1%) meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem. Another 5-8 million people (2-3%) would be considered to have a mild or moderate gambling disorder. While it is uncommon for these individuals to seek treatment, they can still have a negative impact on their lives.
A growing body of evidence supports the need to evaluate patients for gambling disorders in a primary care setting. As a legalized activity with an addictive potential, it is an important public health concern that should be included in routine screening for addictions. However, some physicians have concerns about evaluating patients for gambling disorders because it could lead to an increased workload and the risk of being labeled as a drug abuser.
The medical literature on the impact of gambling on mental health has grown rapidly over the past 20 years. To assess the current state of knowledge, we searched the MEDLINE (Medical Subject Heading) database from 1966 to 2001 for articles describing clinical or experimental studies on human subjects that evaluated the relationship between gambling and mental health. The articles were reviewed to determine whether they:
