Contribution of stressful life events to gambling activity in older age

Abstract

Older subjects are susceptible to develop gambling problems, and researchers have attempted to assess the mechanisms underlying the gambling profile in later life. The objective of this study was to identify the main stressful life events (SLE) across the lifespan which have discriminative capacity for detecting the presence of gambling disorder (GD) in older adults. Data from two independent samples of individuals aged 50+ were analysed: N = 47 patients seeking treatment at a Pathological Gambling Outpatient Unit and N = 361 participants recruited from the general population. Sexual problems (p < 0.001), exposure to domestic violent behaviour (p < 0.001), severe financial problems (p = 0.002), alcohol or drug-related problems (p = 0.004) and extramarital sex (p < 0.001) were related to a higher risk of GD, while getting married (p = 0.005), moving to a new home (p = 0.003) and moving to a new city (p = 0.006) decreased the likelihood of disordered gambling. The accumulated number of SLE was not a predictor of the presence of GD (p = 0.732), but patients who met clinical criteria for GD reported higher concurrence of SLE in time than control individuals (p < 0.001). Empirical research highlights the need to include older age groups in evidence-based policies for gambling prevention, because these individuals are at high risk of onset and/or progression of behavioural addiction-related problems such as GD. The results of this study may be useful for developing reliable screening/diagnostic tools and for planning effective early intervention programmes aimed to reduce the harm related to the onset and evolution of problem gambling in older adults.

Gambling and Aging: An Overview of a Risky Behavior

“…The need for protection and assertiveness contributes to sustained gambling [ 75 ]. When the primary motivation for gambling is to escape anxiety and loneliness, the likelihood of experiencing gambling-related harms is greater [ 23 , 37 , 43 ].…”

“…Numerous studies have shown an increase in participation rates and rates of gambling-related disorders among older adults (for a review, [ 22 ]). These increases are expected to become even more pronounced in the coming years simply because of the population aging [ 23 ].…”

“…Although the prevalence rates of gambling disorder are lower among older adults than among their younger counterparts, it is a problem of concern among this population [ 11 , 24 ], particularly because of the severity of the consequences, such as financial loss, debt accumulation, and illegal behaviors (forging, fraud, theft, or embezzlement to finance gambling) directly related to gambling [ 23 ]. Fixed incomes, in particular, make older adults an extremely vulnerable group [ 24 ].…”

An integrative review of research on gambling and domestic and family violence: Fresh perspectives to guide future research

“…These women reported gambling to gain physical escape from the violence, or psychological escape to cope with the resultant trauma, in a quest to regain some control over their lives, and to cope with the legacy of past abuse after separating from a violent partner ( Hing et al, 2022d ). Other studies report that relationship difficulties, including family violence, are life events that can lead women into harmful gambling behaviors ( Granero et al, 2022 ; McCarthy et al, 2022 ). Women are more likely than men to gamble for avoidance-based coping, and to seek respite from abusive partners, difficult relationships, social isolation, emotional pain, and worries ( Grant and Kim, 2002 ; Thomas and Moore, 2003 ; Lloyd et al, 2010 ; Saugeres et al, 2012 ).…”

Stressful Life Events and Life Satisfaction among Chinese Older Adults: The Role of Coping Styles

“…According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, there were 240.9 million people aged 60 and over in China at the end of 2017, accounting for 17.3% of the total population. Even though people face various stressful life events throughout their lives, later life can be a particularly stressful stage, in which older people face interpersonal, financial, and health-related life events, specifically including retirement, physical illness, and bereavement [ 1 ]. Stressful life events are generally viewed as predictors negatively impacting older adults’ physical, psychological, and cognitive functioning [ 2 , 3 ].…”