Mental disorders in pathological gamblers
Malygin, V.L.; Tsygankov, B.D.
Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii Imeni S.S. Korsakova 106(5): 16-19
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 1997-7298 PMID: 16768219 Document Number: 602592
The study aimed at investigating mental disorders in pathological gamblers. A sample included 73 pathological gamblers (PG) and 77 age- and sex-matched controls. Severity of mental disorders was assessed using the SCL-90-R questionnaire. Most of PG were male (89%), mean age 26,8 +/- 6,3 years. Divorced were 27,4% and never married--20,5%. Most of PG (71,1%) had secondary school education. Alcohol-related problems were observed in 35,6% of PG and 52,1% had positive family history of alcohol-dependence. Mental disorders, mostly of anxiety-depressive and asthenia character, as well as obsessive-compulsive, paranoiac and phobic symptoms were found in 66 (90,4%) PG. In 92,4% cases, severity of disturbances reached the level of symptomatic stress disorder.