Gambling Problems and Attempted Suicide: Part II—Alcohol Abuse Increases Suicide Risk

Abstract

Alcohol misuse is commonly associated with problem gambling and suicide attempts. This study included seventy patients admitted to an Auckland (New Zealand) hospital immediately following a suicide attempt. The first paper in the study identified 12 (17.1%) patients from the sample as being positive on the Eight Gambling Screen. Of these individuals, 75% were also positive on the CAGE alcohol screen. Problem gambling patients who had attempted suicide were also more likely to be Maori (indigenous New Zealanders). The severity of the suicide attempt between patients screened as problem gamblers and those who were not did not differ.

Suicidality among gambling helpline callers: A consideration of the role of financial stress and conflict

“…The current data did not replicate previous findings indicating that individuals with a lifetime history of substance use problems were more likely to experience current suicidality . A possible contributing factor could be related to sample composition; specifically, the current sample included relatively few individuals who attempted suicide, and some of the strongest evidence supporting a link between drug or alcohol problems and suicidality in problem gamblers specifically found an association with suicide attempts rather than ideation …”

“…Given the robust evidence demonstrating a link between problem gambling and suicidality, an understanding of the risk factors is necessary to develop more targeted assessment tools and interventions. Several risk factors for suicidal ideation and attempt among problem gamblers have been explored, with evidence consistently supporting female gender, problem gambling severity, psychiatric comorbidity, and substance use disorders (SUD) as risk factors.…”

Impulsivity and Impulsivity-Related Endophenotypes in Suicidal Patients with Substance Use Disorders: an Exploratory Study

“…A history of lifetime SAs was significantly correlated to the number of RTBs in the same individual with an SUD. The literature documents a greater risk of SB among patients with SUDs and RTBs, including gambling (Penfold et al 2006;Cook et al 2015), binge drinking (Byeon et al 2018;Husky et al 2013), risky sexual behavior (Bae et al 2005;Eaton et al 2011;Epstein and Spirito 2010;Houck et al 2008;Husky et al 2013;Thullen et al 2016), and dangerous driving behavior (Holland et al 2014;Patel and Luckstead 2000). However, the majority of these studies included adolescents and possibly a small number of adult patients (Penfold et al 2006;Holland et al 2014;Husky et al 2013;James et al 2014).…”

Don’t Let an Opportunity Go by: Validation of the EIGHT Gambling Screen

“…Problem gambling has been found to correlate with suicidal ideation, depression, poverty, alcohol misuse and be elevated in Maori. Elevated positive EIGHT Screen findings have been found amongst depressed patients of family doctors (Sullivan et al 2006;Sullivan 2003), in foodbank clients (Hutson and Sullivan 2004), in a prison population ), amongst Maori (Sullivan 2005a), patients admitted to a hospital after a suicide attempt (Penfold et al 2006a(Penfold et al , 2006b) and in clients of alcohol and drug treatment services (Sullivan and Steenhuisen 2007). f. Concurrent validity: The EIGHT Screen has been found to correlate with other problem gambling screens (Table 3), although, as Neal et al (2005) state 'an obvious limitation with this method is that it assumes that the older methods are necessarily valid' (p. 61).…”