Problem gambling and depressive symptomatology in adolescents

Abstract

A clear relationship between gambling and depression has been found among adults. However, this relationship has not been studied among adolescents. The present study analyses this relationship in a representative sample of secondary school adolescents in Galicia (N= 2.790). Problem gambling and at- risk gambling were evaluated using the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised Adolescents (SOGS-RA) by Winters et al. (1993) and depressive symptomatology using the Child Depression Inventory, CDI, by Kovacs (1992). The results showed an increase in depressive symptomatology as involvement in gambling increases, with a CDI score of 12.71 for non-gamblers, 14.63 for at-risk gamblers and 19.66 for problem gamblers, with significant differences in all the groups. Differences were also found with respect to age. Those having greater gambling problems also show greater scores in depressive symptomatology when variables such as greater involvement of parents in gambling, academic failure, and worse relationship with their parents were considered. The results as a whole show a consistent relationship between greater involvement in gambling and greater depressive symptomatology.