Excite, or Take Flight? Exploring the Relationship between Difficulties with Emotion Regulation, Outcome Expectancies, and Problem Gambling.

Autor: Lee A; Faculty of Health, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT, 0810, Australia., Flack M; Faculty of Health, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT, 0810, Australia. malcolm.flack@cdu.edu.au.; Researchers in Behavioural Addictions, Alcohol and Drugs, Charles Darwin University, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT, 0810, Australia. malcolm.flack@cdu.edu.au., Caudwell KM; Faculty of Health, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT, 0810, Australia.; Researchers in Behavioural Addictions, Alcohol and Drugs, Charles Darwin University, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, NT, 0810, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of gambling studies [J Gambl Stud] 2024 Jul 25. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 25.
DOI: 10.1007/s10899-024-10340-4
Abstrakt: Emotional dysregulation is a transdiagnostic process associated with a range of addictive behaviours including problem gambling, with emerging research indicating that emotionally oriented reasons for gambling (i.e., excitement, escape) are associated with problem gambling. However, the relationships between difficulties with emotion regulation, reasons for gambling, and problem gambling, are unclear. The current study tested whether the association between difficulties with emotion regulation and problem gambling could be explained by escape and excitement gambling outcome expectancies. A total of 187 regular gamblers recruited via social media (50.3% male, 48.7% female) completed measures of difficulties with emotion regulation, gambling outcome expectancies, and problem gambling severity (M age = 41.07, SD = 15.8). Analyses revealed that escape outcome expectancies partially mediated the relationship between difficulties with emotion regulation and problem gambling severity. However, the mediating effect of excitement on this relationship was not significant. The findings suggest that individuals with greater emotional regulation difficulties may engage in problem gambling to help manage aversive emotional states. The study's findings illustrate the importance of considering emotional dysregulation and outcome expectancies in problem gambling treatment planning and public health strategies.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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