engleski

It's not all fun and games: Personality traits and coping strategies associated with problem gambling

Problem gambling involves persistent and maladaptive gambling behavior, and certain individual characteristics represent risk factors for developing gambling problems. On the other hand, coping may be the fundamental mechanism that separates controlled gamblers from excessive ones. As the previous research pointed out not only to gender differences in problem gambling, but also in using specific coping strategies, the aim of this study was to investigate individual characteristics associated with problem gambling, and to explore gender differences in these relations. Data were collected on a national representative sample in Croatia (N=4992, 54% female), aged 15 to 64 years (M=39.76, SD=14.03). Besides The Problem Gambling Severity Index, individual characteristics were assessed using a short version of the International Personality Item Pool, Sensation Seeking Scale, and specific dimensions from Brief Cope. Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that personality traits explained 11% and 12% of the problem gambling variance, while coping explained additional 6% and 5% of the variance in males and females, respectively. However, interesting gender differences emerged: while out of personality traits only sensation seeking was associated with problem gambling in females, in males the best predictor was emotional stability, followed by sensation seeking. Finally, positive reframing, active coping and emotional support were linked to lower levels of problem gambling, while instrumental social support was linked to higher levels of problem gambling in males, whereas only active coping and emotional support were linked to lowers levels of problem gambling in females, emphasizing a need for differential approaches in prevention programs.

problem gambling, personality, coping

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