Telescoping and gender differences in the time course of disordered gambling: evidence from a general population sample

Abstract

Background and aim The course of disordered gambling in women has been described as “telescoped” compared with that in men, with a later age at initiation of gambling but shorter times from initiation to disorder. This study examined the evidence, for the first time, for such a telescoping effect in a general population rather than a treatment-seeking sample. Method Participants in a large community-based Australian twin cohort (2,001 men, 2,662 women) were assessed by structured diagnostic telephone interviews in which they reported the ages at which they had attained various gambling milestones and additional information to be used as covariates (the types of gambling in which they had participated and history of symptoms of alcohol dependence, major depression, and adult antisocial behavior). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine differences between men and women in the time from gambling initiation to the first disordered gambling symptom and a diagnosis of disordered gambling. Results Men had a higher hazards than women for the time to the first disordered gambling symptom (HR = 3.13, p < .0001) and to a diagnosis of disordered gambling (HR = 2.53, p < .0001). These differences persisted after controlling for covariates. Earlier age of initiation was the most potent predictor of progression to the first symptom. Conclusions When assessed at the general population level, female gamblers do not appear to show a telescoped disordered gambling trajectory compared with male gamblers.

Does Telescoping Exist in Male and Female Gamblers? Does It Matter?

“…The discrepancy between the Slutske et al ( 2015 ) telescoping finding and previous studies may be explained by several possible confounds regarding the nature of the samples. First, the age of gambling onset varied, where Slutske and colleagues reported the average age of onset to be 17–18 years for both men and women while other studies reported the average ages of onset to be 20–22 years for men and 30–34 years for women.…”

“…While most studies report that GD in women compared to men is “telescoped,” one study involving a large Australian twin cohort of over 4,600 individuals found no evidence of this effect (Slutske et al, 2015 ). In fact, this study showed that men initiated gambling at an earlier age and progressed more rapidly to a GD diagnosis than did women.…”

Compulsive Buying Behavior: Characteristics of Comorbidity with Gambling Disorder

“…Results for gender in this study are consistent with those reported in the literature, which show that CBB and GD are strongly related to opposite sexes. Cross-sectional, community-based and clinical surveys suggest that patients who meet criteria for CBB are mainly women (between 80 and 95%; Fattore et al, 2014 ), while GD is found mainly in men (around 75%; Shin et al, 2014 ; Slutske et al, 2015 ). Suitable reasons as to why women are more likely to have CBB than men can be explained from a socio-cultural perspective (Granero et al, 2009 ).…”

Trends in gambling participation and gambling severity among Finnish men and women: cross-sectional population surveys in 2007, 2010 and 2015

“…On average women start to gamble and to develop gambling problems at a later age than men, 28 but these problems develop into a full-blown disorder within a shorter period of time in women than in men, known as the ‘telescoping effect’. 29 There is consistent evidence to support such an effect in clinical samples, but not in a community-based sample. 29 …”