The Interplay between Gambling Activity Groups, Problem Gambling Symptoms, and Mental Wellbeing from a Public Health Perspective.

Abstract

The existing literature predominantly focuses on clinical conditions related to gambling, with evidence suggesting the co-occurrence of gambling disorders, major depressive disorders, and personality disorders. This study aimed to broaden our understanding beyond clinical conditions by investigating the impact of different gambling activity groups on mental wellbeing. These activity groups were identified using latent class analysis, which enabled a person-centered approach to examine the types and the number of gambling activities as well as expenditure levels, as a single latent variable. Based on the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, our findings suggested that gambling activity groups were associated with reduced mental wellbeing through problem gambling symptoms. Among respondents with the same levels of problem gambling symptoms and age, men who engaged in multiple gambling activities with high spending tended to have better mental wellbeing than those primarily gambling on lotteries. In contrast, women's mental wellbeing did not differ across gambling activity groups. This study clarifies the roles of problem gambling symptoms and gambling activity groups in reduced mental wellbeing. Gambling activity groups featuring multiple activities, high spending, and electronic gaming machines (EGMs) were related to problem gambling symptoms. This study shifts the focus from examining how gambling influences specific mental health conditions or symptoms to exploring its impact on overall mental wellbeing. The empirical evidence supports the expansion of targeted, evidence-based strategies beyond treatments to preventive measures that promote mental wellbeing.