Variations in gambling disorder symptomatology across sexual identity among college student-athletes

Year:
Reference

*Richard J, Martin-Storey A, *Wilkie E, Derevensky JL, Paskus T, Temcheff CE. (2019). Variations in gambling disorder symptomatology across sexual identity among college student-athletes. Journal of Gambling Studies. 35(4): 1303-1316.

Abstract

Gambling disorder has serious negative consequences for individual health and wellbeing, while being more prevalent among college student-athletes compared to the general college population. While previous research reports that sexual minority (i.e., gay, lesbian and bisexual) populations have higher rates of addictive behaviors such as alcohol and drug abuse, no previous research has explored risk for gambling disorder symptomatology by sexual identity status. The aim of the current study is to identify differences in the severity of gambling disorder symptomatology between sexual minority and heterosexual student-athletes. A stratified random sample of 19,299 National Collegiate Athletic Association college student-athletes participated in an anonymous survey assessing gambling disorder symptomatology. Student-athletes completed measures assessing their past 12-month problem gambling as measured by the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for gambling disorder and provided information on their sexual identity. Gay and bisexual men had disordered gambling scores 3.42 times higher than heterosexual men.

DOI