Giving room to subjectivity in understanding and assessing problem gambling: A patient-centered approach focused on quality of life

Abstract

Background and aims: Problem gambling is characterized by high stigma and self-stigma, making relevant measurement of the burden of the disorder complex. The aim of our qualitative study was to describe healthrelated quality of life (HRQOL) impacted by problem gambling from the patients' perspective. Methods: We conducted 6 focus groups with 25 current or lifetime at-risk problem gamblers to identify key domains of quality of life impacted by problem gambling. A content analysis from the focus groups data was conducted using Alceste © software, using descendant hierarchical classification analysis, to obtain stable classes and the significant presences of reduced forms. The class of interest, detailing the core of impacted quality of life, was described using a cluster analysis. Results: Thematic content analysis identified three stable classes. Class 1 contained the interviewers' speech. Class 3 was composed of the vocabulary related to gambling practice, games and gambling venues (casino, horse betting, etc.). Class 2 described the core of impact of gambling on quality of life and corresponded to 43% of the analyzed elementary context units. This analysis revealed seven key domains of impact of problem gambling: loneliness, financial pressure, relationships deterioration, feeling of incomprehension, preoccupation with gambling, negative emotions, and avoidance of helping relationships. Conclusions: We identified, beyond objective damage, the subjective distress felt by problem gamblers over the course of the disorder and in the helping process, marked in particular by stigma and self-stigma. Four impacted HRQOL areas were new and gambling-specific: loneliness, feeling of incomprehension, avoidance of helping relationships, and preoccupation with gambling. These results support the relevance of developing, in a next step, a specific HRQOL scale in the context of gambling.

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on gambling habit: A cross-sectional study from Italy

“…In line with available literature, we found a significant relationship between several mental health symptoms and being a gambler before COVID-19 lockdown, including consuming psychotropic drugs (Potenza et al, 2019), reporting a low quality of life (Bonfils et al, 2019), low sleep quality (Parhami et al, 2012), depressive symptoms (Potenza, Xian, Shah, Scherrer, & Eisen, 2005;Quigley et al, 2015) and anxiety symptoms (Bonfils et al, 2019). The same mental health indicators were also associated with increasing gambling activity during lockdown.…”

Understanding the link between childhood trauma and schizophrenia: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies

“…The other studies found mental sub-score significantly associated with gambling but no significant results regarding physical, bodily pain, vitality or general health sub-scores (Black et al, 2013;Mason and Arnold, 2007;McIntosh et al, 2016;Morasco and Petry, 2006;Najavits et al, 2010;Scherrer JF et al, 2005). Previous studies focused on harms caused by gambling (Commission, 2010;Langham et al, 2015) or on HRQOL areas impacted by gambling (Bonfils et al, 2019). Bonfils et al (2019) aimed to describe HRQOL impacted by problem gambling from a patients' perspective, through a qualitative study.…”

Treatment for the concerned significant others of gamblers: A systematic review

“…Measuring the harm experienced in a unified manner may provide an appropriate way forward. The harm caused by gambling can be assessed with subjective outcomes, such as quality of life, as opposed to the measurement of symptoms ( Bonfils et al, 2019 ).…”