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Sex differences in subclinical and DSM-IV pathological gambling: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 May 2006

CARLOS BLANCO ,
DEBORAH S. HASIN ,
NANCY PETRY ,
FREDERICK S. STINSON  and
BRIDGET F. GRANT
CARLOS BLANCO
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
DEBORAH S. HASIN
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
NANCY PETRY
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
FREDERICK S. STINSON
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biometry, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
BRIDGET F. GRANT
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biometry, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Abstract

Background. To examine sex differences in DSM-IV subclinical and pathological gambling in nationally representative data of the US population.

Method. Data come from a large (n=43093) representative sample of the adult US population.

Results. The lifetime prevalence rate of DSM-IV pathological gambling was 0·64% (95% CI 0·50–0·78) for men and 0·23% (95% CI 0·17–0·29) for women, whereas the lifetime prevalence of subclinical pathological gambling was 6·79% (95% CI 6·32–7·26) for men and 3·26% (95% CI 2·93–3·59) for women. For subclinical pathological gambling, men were significantly (p<0·01) more likely than women to have smoked more than two packs of cigarettes a day, to be classified as heavy drinkers and to have lifetime diagnoses of alcohol and drug use disorders. Women with subclinical and pathological gambling were significantly more likely than men to have lifetime mood and anxiety disorders. With respect to pathological gambling, women had later ages of onset of the disorder, and were significantly more likely than men to report gambling to relieve depressed mood and to prefer casino gambling. Rates of treatment-seeking for DSM-IV pathological gambling were low for both men and women.

Conclusions. There are important sex differences in the prevalence, symptom pattern, sociodemographic and clinical correlates and course of DSM-IV subclinical and pathological gambling. Results underscore the need to investigate sex differences in the social determinants, neurobiology and treatment response of DSM-IV subclinical and pathological gambling.

Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 36 , Issue 7 , July 2006 , pp. 943 - 953
Copyright
2006 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent the views of the sponsoring agencies or the U.S. government.