The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER, Vol 2(43) - Pathological Gambling as Reflection of Cultural Norms

The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)* classifies pathological gambling as an impulse disorder. Although clinicians often consider the DSM the “gold standard” for definitions and classifications of mental disorders and problems, it is important to understand that all disorders are a reflec­tion of cultural norms and values. This becomes increasingly evident when comparing diagnostic manuals cross-culturally. For example, the newest edition of the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders (CCMD-2-R)** has removed the category of pathological gambling entirely from the manual. This decision was based on the obser­vation that pathological gambling disorder lacked contextual validity in Chinese society.... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol 2(42) - Gender & Gambling: Mood Trait Differences

Research on gender differences in gambling behavior has focused on three areas: 1) gender differences in motivation for gambling, 2) comparisons of gender-specific disordered gambling prevalence rates, and 3) gender differences in preferred gambling activities. A recent study* in Victoria, Australia examined the first two areas among gaming machine (i.e., slot machine) players. Ohtsuka et al. chose gaming machine players based on the fact that 64% of gaming machine players in Victoria are women**. A convenience sample of 104 gaming machine players were surveyed as the players waited for open machines or as they finished playing. Mood traits were measured... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol 2(41) - Pathological Gambling Prevalence Among Indigenous Peoples

Research on the prevalence of gambling among Native Americans on reservations and in substance abuse treatment in the United States has found that Native Americans have higher rates of pathological gambling than their non-Native American counterparts.*,** A recent analysis of previously collected data from New Zealand and North Dakota contributes more information to the limited knowledge about disordered gambling among native communities***. Volberg examined data from the Maori in New Zealand and the Sioux and Chippewa in North Dakota on the South Oaks Gambling Screen, participation in types of gambling activities, and sociodemographic items. A total of 4053 randomly selected... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol 2(40) - Treating Pathological Gambling with Eye Movement Desensitization/Reprocessing

Eye movement desensitization/reprocessing (EMDR) is a relatively new treatment* that has produced beneficial results for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety complaints. EMDR is a clinical treatment method developed to stimulate central nervous system information processing which has been disrupted by trauma experiences. A recent study** tested whether EMDR was an effective treatment for decreasing gambling events among pathological gamblers. A gambling event was considered to be each separate gambling activity (i.e., buying a lottery ticket, a session of video poker). Pathological gamblers were hypothesized to be viable candidates for EMDR treatment because of the potential existence of... Read more →