Problem and pathological gambling are associated with poorer mental and physical health in older adults
✍ Scribed by Lauren Erickson; Cheryl A. Molina; George T. Ladd; Robert H. Pietrzak; Nancy M. Petry
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2005
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 77 KB
- Volume
- 20
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0885-6230
- DOI
- 10.1002/gps.1357
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Objective To evaluate the prevalence and correlates of problem and pathological gambling in older adults. Methods Adults (n ¼ 343) aged 60 years and older attending senior centers, bingo sites and other community activities completed a screening form containing the South Oaks Gambling Screen and the Short Form-12 Health Survey, to evaluate physical and mental health. Results Overall, 6.4% of the respondents were classified as problem gamblers and an additional 3.8% as pathological gamblers. Problem and pathological gamblers evidenced significantly greater physical and mental health problems than non-problem gamblers. Conclusions These data suggest that about 10 percent of active older adults experience gambling problems, which are associated with poor physical and mental health.