TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring differences in substance use among emerging adults at-risk for problem gambling, and/or problem video gaming
AU - Mills, Devin J.
AU - Marchica, Loredana
AU - Keough, Matthew T.
AU - Derevensky, Jeffrey L.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Both problem gambling (PG) and problem video gaming (PVG) contribute to physical, psychological, and interpersonal issues, and are associated with elevated substance use. This is particularly troublesome among emerging adults (18–27 years) who report high levels of substance use and represent a significant proportion of the gamblers and video game players. The present study assessed PG and PVG symptoms among 1,621 emerging adults (54.5% female; M = 20.55, SD = 2.70) in conjunction with their frequency of using cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs (e.g. cocaine, opioids). Results revealed that 6.1% and 22.7% of emerging adults were at-risk for PG or PVG, respectively. Those at at-risk for either PG or PVG had used substances more frequently than those who were either non-problematic or at low-risk. A small subset of participants (2.2%) were at-risk for both PG and PVG and were the most likely to report using cigarettes, marijuana, and other drugs frequently, even after accounting for the effects of age, gender, race, and gambling and video gaming frequency. As such, exhibiting a risk for both PG and PVG places individuals at greater risk for substance use. The implications of these findings to policy and future research are discussed.
AB - Both problem gambling (PG) and problem video gaming (PVG) contribute to physical, psychological, and interpersonal issues, and are associated with elevated substance use. This is particularly troublesome among emerging adults (18–27 years) who report high levels of substance use and represent a significant proportion of the gamblers and video game players. The present study assessed PG and PVG symptoms among 1,621 emerging adults (54.5% female; M = 20.55, SD = 2.70) in conjunction with their frequency of using cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs (e.g. cocaine, opioids). Results revealed that 6.1% and 22.7% of emerging adults were at-risk for PG or PVG, respectively. Those at at-risk for either PG or PVG had used substances more frequently than those who were either non-problematic or at low-risk. A small subset of participants (2.2%) were at-risk for both PG and PVG and were the most likely to report using cigarettes, marijuana, and other drugs frequently, even after accounting for the effects of age, gender, race, and gambling and video gaming frequency. As such, exhibiting a risk for both PG and PVG places individuals at greater risk for substance use. The implications of these findings to policy and future research are discussed.
KW - Gambling
KW - mental health
KW - substance use
KW - video gaming
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85083828693&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/14459795.2020.1752768
DO - 10.1080/14459795.2020.1752768
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85083828693
SN - 1445-9795
VL - 20
SP - 539
EP - 555
JO - International Gambling Studies
JF - International Gambling Studies
IS - 3
ER -