Addictive behaviors最新文献

{"title":"The long and winding road to treatment for problem gambling: from problem awareness to treatment helpfulness","authors":"Youssef Allami ,&nbsp;Robert J. Williams ,&nbsp;Darren R. Christensen ,&nbsp;Carrie A. Shaw ,&nbsp;Daniel S. McGrath ,&nbsp;Rhys M.G. Stevens ,&nbsp;Fiona Nicoll ,&nbsp;Hyoun S. Kim ,&nbsp;David C. Hodgins","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108440","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108440","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Only a minority of individuals with problem gambling (PG) seek specialized treatment, often doing so only after experiencing significant problems for many years. To better understand the trigger points and pathways that lead individuals to treatment, this mixed-methods study recruited 65 Canadian adults currently receiving treatment for PG. Using a Timeline Follow-Back methodology, participants recalled key trigger points that led them to recognize their gambling problems and ultimately seek professional treatment. Their treatment histories for substance use, mental health, and gambling problems were also assessed, including the ages at which these treatments occurred. Additionally, participants responded to open-ended questions about how various gambling-specific treatment modalities were helpful to them. The delay between recognizing gambling problems and seeking help was about four years. Participants tended to first seek help from friends or family, whereas religious counselling generally came last. A content analysis of responses identified key categories related to trigger points, initial attempts to limit gambling, and the perceived benefits of specialized treatment. Financial problems were identified as both the most frequent triggers for problem recognition and for initiating change. Among participants who had previously sought specialized help for substance use problems, gambling problems emerged concurrently to these treatment episodes. These findings highlight the interconnectedness of mental health, substance use, and PG and provide valuable insights into how individuals with gambling problems can be encouraged to seek help that aligns with their specific needs. Public health implications include improving support access and screening for gambling in mental health and addiction services.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 108440"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144696757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring gambling harm awareness and its relationship with problem gambling severity: A nationally representative study of UK gamblers","authors":"Christy Milia ,&nbsp;Ian P. Albery ,&nbsp;Marcantonio Spada ,&nbsp;Briony Gunstone ,&nbsp;Antony C. Moss","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108435","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108435","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>From a public health perspective, raising awareness of gambling-related harms may activate a sense of personal threat that can encourage positive behaviour change and reduce experienced harm. This study sought to determine existing levels of gambling harm awareness, both in total and by specific harm types, across a nationally representative UK sample of 10,157 adult gamblers (4,951 female). It also explored the relationship between gambling harm awareness and problem gambling severity, after controlling for various demographic variables and gambling motives. Participants were recruited via an online panel survey and provided self-reports of past-year gambling participation, motives, problem gambling severity, and awareness of different types of harms. The harm awareness measure used a prompted vs. unprompted cueing methodology and framed harms as either betting- or gambling-related based on a previously reported semantic distinction. Results showed that prompting significantly increased the number of harms reported, while harm framing did not. Regardless of condition, participants reported greater awareness of resource harms (e.g., financial difficulties) compared to health and relationship harms, and a quarter of the sample did not report any type of betting/gambling harm. Based on the results of a hierarchical linear regression, gambling harm awareness explained significant variability in problem gambling severity scores. Increased gambling severity scores were associated with greater awareness of health harms and decreased gambling severity scores were related to greater awareness of resource and relationship harms. These findings raise concerns about the overall effectiveness of current public health efforts in increasing harm awareness and suggest the need to broaden their focus to support individuals of varying risk levels in recognising and addressing a wider range of gambling-related harms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 108435"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144703558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diversity in opioid-related stigma interventions: A systematic review","authors":"Rachel Girard ,&nbsp;Devin C. Tomlinson ,&nbsp;Chavez R. Rodriguez ,&nbsp;Kyersten Frabizio ,&nbsp;Lara Coughlin ,&nbsp;Lewei Allison Lin ,&nbsp;Nichea S. Spillane","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108432","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108432","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a highly stigmatized, debilitating condition affecting millions in the U.S., with stigma posing a major barrier to treatment engagement, retention, and outcomes. Disparities in OUD and opioid-involved overdoses disproportionately impact marginalized communities, underscoring the urgent need for culturally-informed stigma reduction interventions that address intersecting forms of discrimination and health inequities. This review examined interventions targeting OUD-related stigma, focusing on the diversity and cultural relevance of these initiatives.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Following PRISMA guidelines, we reviewed articles published through May 2025 that described interventions addressing opioid/OUD-related stigma.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Most studies targeted provider or public stigma and involved students, healthcare professionals, or justice-involved individuals. However, demographic representation was inconsistent, with limited attention to race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Sixty-eight percent of studies incorporated cultural considerations, most commonly through the inclusion of individuals with lived OUD experience.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This is the first review to specifically examine cultural factors in interventions addressing opioid-related stigma. While notable progress has been made, gaps remain—particularly in the consistent collection of sociodemographic data and in the design of tailored interventions that address intersectional stigma and meaningfully engage marginalized communities. To address these gaps, future efforts should adopt inclusive recruitment strategies, apply intersectional frameworks, and collaborate with communities to integrate lived experiences. These culturally informed approaches, defined here as strategies that are responsive to the cultural identities, values, and social contexts of affected populations, could support the development and evaluation of stigma reduction interventions that better serve diverse populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 108432"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144654394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphological inverse divergence reveals enhanced visual-attention structural similarity in internet gaming disorder","authors":"Haohao Dong ,&nbsp;Min Wang ,&nbsp;Yuqian Wang ,&nbsp;Xuefeng Ma ,&nbsp;Huabin Wan ,&nbsp;Guangheng Dong ,&nbsp;Renlai Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108437","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108437","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The morphometric inverse divergence (MIND) method offers a reliable approach for constructing structural similarity networks. While studies have identified abnormal connectivity in functional networks in internet gaming disorder (IGD), its MIND network pattern alterations remain unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed 110 IGD individuals and 158 recreational gaming users (RGU), constructing MIND-based networks. We compared mean differences across large-scale sub-networks and individual regions. We also conducted edge analysis to identify subtle changes in individual connections. Additionally, we examined topological properties, including small-worldness, efficiency, and nodal centrality.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Individuals with IGD exhibited increased similarity between the visual and ventral attention/salience networks (Five significant edges), which was positively correlated with IGD severity. Additionally, several strengthened connections were identified, involving the default-sensorimotor and default-visual networks. Network topology analysis revealed a significant reduction in normalized characteristic path length in IGD (<em>t</em> = 2.357, <em>p</em> = 0.019), which may indicate a shift towards a more randomized brain network topology. Further, nodal centrality was also elevated (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001, uncorrected) in the same regions, including the visual, attentional, and prefrontal regions, showing a positive association with IGD severity.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings revealed that excessive online gaming alters increased the similarity between the visual and attention network and increases nodal centrality in these regions, offering new insights into the neuroanatomical mechanisms underlying IGD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 108437"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effects of cannabis use disorder on cognitive functions: A meta-analysis","authors":"Florence Pilon ,&nbsp;Alexandre Dumais ,&nbsp;Charles-Édouard Giguère ,&nbsp;Stéphane Potvin","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108434","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108434","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and aims</h3><div>Impairments in cognition are frequently associated with acute cannabis consumption; on the other hand, controversies persist regarding the residual cognitive impairments of cannabis, with some estimates highlighting significant or mild cognitive impairment. One of the main limitations of the available research syntheses is that little attention has been paid to individuals with cannabis use disorder. Thus, our main objectives are to determine the amplitude of the cognitive deficits associated with cannabis use disorder, and to identify the cognitive domains the most and least impaired.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Studies with a patient group with a cannabis use disorder diagnosis and data from at least one validated neurocognitive test were selected. After manual extraction, data were pooled in a multivariate meta-analysis and effect size estimates were calculated for 13 cognitive domains. Meta-regression analyses on potential moderators were performed.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>There were small-to-moderate impairments in 10 out of the 13 cognitive domains. Deficits in verbal learning/memory, speed of processing and working memory were more prominent (d = 0.4/0.5) whereas verbal fluency and attention were the least affected. No association was observed between the potential moderators and global cognition.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This meta-analysis shows that cannabis use disorder is associated with moderate deficits in verbal learning/memory, speed of processing and working memory. Despite the limitation of the studies in the field, our results should serve as a reminder that the residual cognitive impairments associated with cannabis should not be under-estimated prematurely.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 108434"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144634438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of preventive gambling interventions in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Fatemeh Talebi ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Bazrafshan","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108436","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108436","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and Objectives</h3><div>This systematic review and <em>meta</em>-analysis aim to evaluate the effectiveness of gambling prevention interventions for adolescents, identify key factors influencing intervention outcomes, and provide evidence-based recommendations for future prevention efforts.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A systematic search was conducted using databases such as PubMed, SCOPUS, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar up to May 2025. The review followed PRISMA guidelines, and the quality of included studies was assessed using standardized tools. Data were synthesized using <em>meta</em>-analytic techniques to calculate the effect size, which was reported as a weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>This <em>meta</em>-analysis included 15 studies with a total sample of 4,201 adolescents. Overall, gambling prevention programs demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in gambling behaviors among adolescents (WMD: −3.26, 95 % CI: −3.92 to −2.60, P &lt; 0.001). However, the certainty evidence was very low as assessed by the GRADE evidence profiles, indicating potential limitations in study quality, inconsistency, and risk of bias. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plot analysis and Egger’s test, indicating absence of significant bias.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The findings suggest that gambling prevention programs may be effective in reducing adolescent gambling behaviors, but the results should be interpreted with caution due to the low certainty of the evidence. Future research should focus on optimizing intervention design, long-term effectiveness, and the role of digital prevention strategies to enhance effectiveness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 108436"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144631860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations between HEXACO personality traits, substance use disorders, and behavioral addictions: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Farangis Sharifibastan ,&nbsp;Ståle Pallesen ,&nbsp;Katharina Teresa Enehaug Morken ,&nbsp;Petter Haave ,&nbsp;Eilin Kristine Erevik","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108433","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108433","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>This study presents the first systematic review and meta-analysis examining the associations between the HEXACO personality traits, substance use disorders (SUDs), and behavioral addictions.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A comprehensive search was conducted on the databases APA PsycINFO (Ovid), Medline (Ovid), ProQuest, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Wiley Online Library, with a supplementary search on Google Scholar. Studies were included if they were empirical, published in peer-reviewed journals or as dissertations, investigated the association between HEXACO personality traits, SUDs, and behavioral addictions, and reported zero-order correlations or sufficient data for such calculations. Case studies and qualitative studies were excluded. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random effects models were used to estimate pooled effect sizes for behavioral addictions. For SUD analyses, fixed effects model was applied as only two studies were available per trait.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Nineteen studies with a total of 9,478 participants were included. Meta-analytic results showed statistically significant inverse associations between behavioral addictions and honesty-humility (−0.339, 95 % CI = −0.433, −0.237), extraversion (−0.197, 95 % CI = −0.321, −0.066), agreeableness (−0.336, 95 % CI = −0.478, −0.177), conscientiousness (−0.317, 95 % CI = −0.410, −0.218), and openness to experience (−0.201, 95 % CI = −0.322, −0.073), while emotionality showed a statistically significant positive association (0.212, 95 % CI = 0.094, 0.324). For SUDs, analyses demonstrated statistically significant inverse associations with honesty-humility (−0.226, 95 % CI = −0.298, −0.150) and conscientiousness (−0.157, 95 % CI = −0.232, −0.081), while other traits showed non-significant associations. Significant heterogeneity was observed across studies. Meta-regressions showed that gender and age moderated the relationship between agreeableness and behavioral addictions, while gender also moderated the relationship between extraversion and behavioral addictions.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This meta-analysis provides strong empirical evidence for an association between HEXACO personality traits and addictions. The findings suggest that incorporating HEXACO trait assessments may be beneficial in planning and targeting interventions for individuals with addictions, but that the population in question also should be taken into account.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 108433"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144614036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characteristics associated with medication adherence in a randomized clinical trial of multiple pharmacotherapy adaptations based on treatment response in black adults who smoke","authors":"Erica Cruvinel ,&nbsp;Alexandra Brown ,&nbsp;Amanda Pritchard ,&nbsp;Matthew S. Mayo ,&nbsp;Lisa Sanderson Cox ,&nbsp;Eleanor L.S. Leavens ,&nbsp;Nicole L. Nollen","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108431","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108431","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Pharmacotherapy is a key component of evidence-based smoking cessation treatment and a major predictor of success in quitting. However, most people attempting to quit in clinical trials fail to fully adhere to their pharmacological treatments.</div></div><div><h3>Aims and methods</h3><div>To assess factors associated with adherence to smoking cessation pharmacotherapies among Black adults participating in a clinical trial and to understand reasons for non-adherence to treatment. Data came from 333 participants enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of adapted therapy (ADT) or enhanced usual care (UC) for smoking cessation. Medication adherence was defined as taking at least 80 % of the prescribed medication for the entire treatment. Characteristics associated with 18-week adherence included demographic, psychosocial, smoking characteristics, substance use, medication experience, early treatment response, and adverse events. A best-subsets regression analyses were performed with all characteristics, and descriptive statistics were used to summarize the reasons for non-adherence to medication.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>One hundred seventy-seven participants were compliant with their medication. Participants randomized to the ADT (OR = 2.40, 95 % CI = 1.52–3.81, p &lt; 0.001) and with more positive medication experience (OR = 1.28, 95 % CI = 1.14–1.45, p &lt; 0.001) were more likely to be adherent to study medications. The most common reason for non-adherence was “forgetting or losing the medication” (49.1 %).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Over half of our sample were adherent to their pharmacotherapy, and those randomized to adaptive therapy, coupled with a positive experience with their medication, exhibited better overall compliance with their long-term pharmacotherapy. Reasons for not taking medications were similar to the existing literature.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 108431"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144631885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Impact of Smoking Cues on Working Memory: Evidence from the Drift-Diffusion Model and EEG","authors":"Jiayue Zou ,&nbsp;Yawei Qi ,&nbsp;Shaoyu Tu ,&nbsp;Yifei Zhang ,&nbsp;Haichao Zhao ,&nbsp;Jiali Liu ,&nbsp;Ofir Turel ,&nbsp;Hanlin Cheng ,&nbsp;Qinghua He","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108430","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108430","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Repeated nicotine exposure can lead to cognitive changes, including working memory. However, we have a limited understanding of such changes. To address this gap, 48 smokers participated in smoking-specific N-back tasks involving smoking and neutral cues under different working memory loads (1-back and 2-back), while EEG data were recorded. By employing drift–diffusion model and EEG analysis, we examined how cue types and working memory loads modulate behavioral performance and identified the underlying cognitive processes and neural correlates. The results showed decreased accuracy across working memory loads and slower reaction times specifically in the low working memory load condition when exposed to smoking cues. Drift-diffusion model analysis suggested that these effects may stem from reduced drift rate and a lower decision threshold. These behavioral differences between cue types were mirrored in the neural activity, with smoking cues eliciting smaller P300 amplitudes, decreased alpha and beta power under both working memory loads, and increased positive slow wave predominantly at low working memory load. Furthermore, negative correlations were observed between nicotine craving and behavior performance (i.e., accuracy), drift–diffusion model parameters (i.e., drift rate and decision threshold) and EEG data (i.e., alpha and beta power). These findings enhance our understanding of how smoking cues affect cognitive processing and the neural mechanisms of working memory in smokers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 108430"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144604536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gambling products, gambling problems and gambling involvement: comparative analysis from two cross-sectional surveys, the Gambling Survey for Great Britain and the Health Survey for England series","authors":"Heather Wardle,&nbsp;Sarah Tipping","doi":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108429","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108429","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Different gambling formats are associated with varying rates of gambling harms. Some studies have suggested that this relationship is driven by wider gambling involvement and thus argued that how much people gamble is a more useful predictor of gambling harms than engagement in specific activities. This assumption was tested using data from two cross-sectional surveys, the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), 2023 and the Health Survey for England (HSE), 2015–2018.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Binary logistic regressions examined the relationship between past year engagement in different gambling formats and Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) scores of 8 or more. Negative binomial regressions examined past year engagement in each gambling format with PGSI scores overall. All models were run with and without controls for the number of other gambling activities undertaken and the demographic/socio-economic profile of participants. For the GSGB, frequency of gambling on other gambling formats was also included.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Results from both surveys showed that controls for wider gambling involvement moderated the relationship between gambling format and PGSI scores. However, engagement in gambling activities like online casinos and/or slots (GSGB, online casino gambling incidence risk ratio (IRR): 2.33, 95 % CI: 1.78–3.04; HSE online casino, slots and bingo IRR: 5.93, 95 % CI:4.45–7.90) and Electronic Gambling Machines (EGMs) (GSGB: IRR = 1.81, 95 % CI: 1.43–2.28; HSE IRR = 3.94, 95 % CI: 3.02–5.16) were independently associated elevated PGSI scores even when wider gambling involvement was taken into account.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Commensurate with known theories about product risk and wider research evidence, results suggest there may be an impact on PGSI scores from engaging in online casino and/or slots and EGMs that is independent of an individual’s broader gambling involvement. Evidence from this study suggests that some forms of gambling may be more closely associated with problem gambling. Regulatory policy should focus on these forms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7155,"journal":{"name":"Addictive behaviors","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 108429"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145088199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}