Abstract
Although sleep has been extensively studied in substance related disorders, it has yet to be examined as thoroughly in gambling-related disorders. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between gambling severity and sleep disturbances in a sample of non-treatment seeking gamblers (N = 96) using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Mean ESS scores for recreational, problem, and pathological gamblers were 4.13, 5.81, and 8.69, respectively, with a significant difference between pathological gamblers and both problem (P = .007) and recreational gamblers (P < .001). Mean PSQI scores for recreational, problem, and pathological gamblers were 3.35, 5.30, and 5.44, respectively, with a significant difference in sleep quality between recreational and problem gamblers (P = .018), as well as recreational and pathological gamblers (P = .008). As the first study to use objective sleep measures, these findings will not only increase awareness of this relationship, but also provide a foundation on which others can investigate the benefits of screening and adjunct treatment for sleep disorders in the gambling population.
Acknowledgments
This project was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Grant #: K23DA 19522-2) and the Annenberg Foundation.
Notes
Recreational gamblers were defined as having met 0 DSM-IV criteria for Pathological Gambling, while problem and pathological gamblers met 1–4 and greater than 5 criteria respectively. Preliminary analysis (Chi-square and ANOVA) did not find significant differences between recreational, problem, and pathological gamblers based on the above demographic criteria (α = 0.05). Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.