Sociodemographic, Psychopathological and Clinical Characteristics of Pathological Slot-Machine Gamblers in Treatment: A Descriptive Study of Spanish Male Gamblers

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe the sociodemographic, psychopathological, and clinical characteristics of a sample of Spanish male pathological slot-machine gamblers in treatment. The sample was made up of 80 men who met the criteria of the DSM-IV for pathological gambling. The mean age was 29 years, and the mean age at which they had started slot-machine gambling was 20 years, with a mean problem duration of three years before they sought treatment. Regarding employment status, service sector workers were the most frequently represented (36.3%), followed by students (20%) and the unemployed (15%). The most influential psychopathological variables noted were the prevalence of affective disorders (36.2%), past abuse of alcohol (12.5%), and regular use of illegal substances (26.3%), either in the past or at the time of seeking treatment. Also discussed is the low age of the men seeking treatment for gambling problems, the way they finance their gambling and explanations for their gambling behaviour.