Gambling is an important public health concern. To better understand gambling behavior, we conducted a classroom-based survey that assessed the role of the theory of planned behavior (TPB; i.e., intentions, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes) in past year gambling and gambling frequency among college students. Results from this research support the utility of the TPB to explain gambling behavior in this population. Specifically, in TPB models to predict gambling behavior, friend and family subjective norms and perceived behavioral control predicted past year gambling and friend and family subjective norms, attitudes and perceived behavioral control predicted gambling frequency. Intention to gamble mediated these relationships. These findings suggest that college responsible gambling efforts should consider targeting misperceptions of approval regarding gambling behavior (i.e., subjective norms), personal approval of gambling behavior (i.e., attitudes), and perceived behavioral control to better manage gambling behavior in various situations.

Gambling-related research has advanced rapidly during the past 20 years. As a result of expanding interest toward pathological gambling (PG), stakeholders (e.g., clinicians, regulators, and policy makers) have a better understanding of excessive gambling, including its etiology (e.g., neurobiological/neurogenetic, psychological, and sociological factors) and trajectory (e.g., initiation, course, and adaptation to gambling exposure). In this article, we will examine these advances in PG-related research and then consider some of the clinical implications of these advances. We will consider the DSM-V Impulse Control Work Group's recently proposed changes to the DSM criteria for PG. We also will review how clinicians can more accurately and efficiently diagnose clients seeking help for gambling-related problems by utilizing brief screens.Finally, we consider the importance of future research that can identify behavioral markers for PG. We suggest that identifying these markers will allow clinicians to make earlier diagnoses, suggest targeted treatments, and advance secondary prevention efforts.

We assessed the occurrence of co-morbid psychiatric disorders (i.e., problem drinking, anxiety, and depression) among college students who met the threshold for disordered gambling. The participants included a large sample of undergraduate students (n = 1,430) who were enrolled in an introductory health course at a large, southeastern university in Spring 2011 and completed an online assessment that included scales to assess disordered gambling, problem drinking, anxiety, and depression. We calculated screening scores, computed prevalence rates for each disorder, and calculated Pearson correlations and Chi square tests to examine correlations and co-morbid relationships between the four disorders. Analyses indicated that all disorders were significantly associated (p < .01) except for disordered gambling and anxiety. Because college students who experience disordered gambling (and other psychiatric disorders) are at increased risk of experiencing co-occurring disorders, it might be useful for college health professionals to concurrently screen and intervene for co-occurring disorders.

Aims KCNJ11-related diabetes is the most common form of permanent neonatal diabetes and has been associated with a spectrum of neurodevelopmental problems. We compared neurodevelopmental outcomes in subjects with KCNJ11 mutations and their sibling controls. Methods Through our Monogenic Diabetes Registry (http://monogenicdiabetes.uchicago.edu/), we evaluated 23 subjects with KCNJ11 mutations with (n=9) and without (n=14) global developmental delay successfully treated with sulfonylurea and 20 healthy sibling controls, using a battery of targeted neuropsychological and behavioural assessments with scaled scores that are comparable across a wide range of ages. Results Subjects with KCNJ11-related diabetes without global developmental delay had significant differences compared to sibling controls on a range of assessments including IQ, measures of academic achievement and executive function. KCNJ11 subjects with global delay exhibited significant differences in behavioural symptoms with a tendency to avoid social contact and displayed a reduced ability to adapt to new circumstances. Parents reported more immature behaviour, gross mood swings, bizarre thoughts, other unusual and severe behaviours and there were also significant deficits in all subdomains of daily living skills. Conclusions This series represents the largest and most comprehensive study of neuropsychological and behavioural dysfunction of individuals with KCNJ11-diabetes and is the first to compare outcome with sibling controls. Our data demonstrates the variety of neurodevelopmental problems seen in those with KCNJ11 mutations, even in those without recognized global developmental delays. These data can be used to counsel families and guide structured neurodevelopmental assessments and treatments based on the initial genetic diagnosis in patients with neonatal diabetes.