The proliferation of lotteries and casinos has led to increased participation in gambling. Older adults who have opportunities to gamble may be vulnerable to gambling problems, and incarcerated older adults may be the most vulnerable. Furthermore, research has linked decreased health to gambling problems. This study compared perceived health and gambling problems among 43 incarcerated older adults from two county jails in the midwestern United States. Results from the South Oaks Gambling Screen indicated 48.83% of the sample scored in the problem or pathological range. Short Form-36 results were compared with U.S. norms for ages 55 to 64 and showed significantly lower perceived health scores on Role-Physical, Bodily Pain, Mental Health, Social Functioning, and Role-Emotional subscales. The problem and pathological gamblers showed significantly lower social functioning than the recreational gamblers. Assessment of health conditions and gambling behaviors is important for quantifying current and anticipated burdens of these conditions on correctional health care systems and the community.
An advanced understanding of the issues most important to parents whose children have made a nonlethal suicide attempt has implications for clinicians in creating acceptable and useful interventions aimed at preventing youth suicide.
Gambling problems have been associated with lower perceived health in community samples, but little research has examined this relationship in an incarcerated population. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived health and gambling problems of adult inmates (18-49 years old) in a county jail. We surveyed 184 male and female inmates aged 18-49 years. Nearly 35% of inmates scored as problem or pathological gamblers, and inmates scored significantly lower on all Short Form-36 Version 2 perceived health scales than the U.S. population norm. There were no significant differences on perceived health scores between recreational and problem/pathological gamblers. The high prevalence of gambling problems and poor perceived health necessitates research to provide screenings and test effectiveness of gambling and health interventions in this population.
Knowledge of relationships between perceived health and gambling can assist healthcare providers in understanding potential healthcare needs of the inmates and begin treatment while they are still incarcerated. Nurses in settings such as free and private clinics, homeless shelters, churches, and emergency departments need to screen for problem gambling in this population. This will facilitate appropriate referrals and continued treatment as these inmates transition back into society.
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