Genetic and Environmental Influences on Disordered Gambling in Men and Women PMC

Many studies have been dedicated to studying risk factors for the development/maintenance of gambling disorder. Therefore, this systematic review aims to explore what are the risk factors for the development/maintenance of gambling disorder. Particularly important if you can see a difference in the pattern between the pre-pandemic and the pandemic crisis. In recent years, problematic gambling behavior has become especially common in young adults. Before sports betting was legalized, we often had callers between ages who were playing the lottery.

• Many studies have been dedicated to studying risk factors for the development/maintenance of gambling disorder.
• Individuals with gambling problems frequently experience co-occurring mental health challenges, including mood disorders and anxiety.
• According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), disordered gambling is an addictive mental disorder classified in the “Addiction and Related Disorders” category.
• The studies indicate a link between change in online gambling involvement during COVID-19 and increased mental health problems (Price et al., 2022), including stress from boredom (Fluharty et al., 2022), and higher levels of depression and anxiety (Fluharty et al., 2022; Price et al., 2022).
• Earlier this year, a report published in the medical journal The Lancet called on international health leaders to act quickly on regulations before gambling disorders become widespread and common, and that much harder to stop.

Even before the marriage of online gaming and cellphones, researchers had estimated 1% to 2% of Americans already had a gambling disorder, and another 8%of people were at risk of developing one. However, two studies presented different data (Biegun et al., 2020; Çakıcı et al., 2015). Biegun et al. (2020), did not find an association between problem gambling and various mental health correlates, such as depression, anxiety, and stress. In another study, players had higher levels of education and were employed, contrary to data found so far. As for relationships, pathological gamblers have greater difficulties in family and social relationships than non-players (Cowlishaw et al., 2016; Landreat et al., 2020).

Psychological Risk Factors

Environmental influences explained more variance of gambling behavior in adolescents than in adults. That is, risk factors related to social environment (e.g., affiliation with peers) made larger contributions to the variance of occurrence and development of gambling in adolescents than in adults. The heritability was higher for adults, a finding which may be due to genetic predispositions which cause individuals to select environments that expose them to risk factors for the behavior (Plomin, 1986). These previous contradictory findings suggest the necessity of conducting reviews of twin studies in order to provide a clearer and more comprehensive picture of the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on gambling. A few literature reviews of gambling have summarized the existing twin studies on gambling. These previous reviews were informative and summarized the related twin studies as suggesting a genetic influence on gambling (Raylu and Oei, 2002; Shah et al., 2005).

Descriptive Statistics and Twin Correlations

Within the replication sample, evidence for genetic influences was tested by comparing the same sex MZ and DZ twin correlations. As MZ twins share all of their DNA and DZ twins share just half of their segregating DNA, higher MZ twin correlations compared with DZ twin correlations would provide evidence for genetic influences on GD symptomatology. Quantitative sex differences, or differences in the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences, were tested by comparing the within-zygosity differences in the twin correlations obtained from the same-sex male v. female twin pairs.

Environmental factors and personal history also play significant roles in shaping gambling behavior. The interplay between these elements creates a complex web of influences that can lead to the gullybet development of gambling addiction. Examining both genetic predisposition and family history provides a clearer understanding of the multifaceted nature of this behavioral disorder. Sports betting has been gaining popularity, with ongoing research examining its impact on gambling addiction. A longitudinal study is currently underway to determine which individuals are more likely to progress from casual sports betting to problematic gambling behaviors. Beyond the brain’s chemistry, genetic and environmental factors also play a significant role in gambling addiction.

Genetic and environmental origins of gambling behaviors from ages 18 to 25: A longitudinal twin family study

Seeking professional help from a mental health professional is crucial for managing gambling addiction. Windward Mental Health provides specialized programs and support systems to help individuals overcome their addiction and reclaim their lives. Individuals with gambling problems frequently experience co-occurring mental health challenges, including mood disorders and anxiety. Gambling addiction is often linked to various mental health disorders, highlighting the complex interplay between these issues.

Understanding the psychological factors contributing to gambling addiction helps in developing more effective treatment strategies. Understanding these parallels can help in developing comprehensive treatment strategies that address the underlying neurological factors of gambling addiction. Because access to the raw data for each study was not possible, in our meta-analysis age was simplified into a categorical variable (i.e., adolescents and adults).

Furthermore, like the Vietnam Era Twin Registry study, the age range of the sample was relatively narrow (32–43 years). The extent to which these results can be generalized to other age groups such as adolescents and older individuals remains an unanswered question. Prevalence rates of GD were significantly lower among women than among men, which is consistent with prior research (Petry et al., 2005). Additionally, although estimates of the heritability of GD in men and women in the combined sample did not significantly differ, they were somewhat disparate (46% among men v. 58% among women), suggesting a potential quantitative sex difference.

When the symptoms making up the scale are all indicators of the same unidimensional construct, as indicated by the exploratory factor analyses and previous research,31 the cutoff used for the threshold in the liability-threshold model does not necessarily have to correspond to the cutoff used for a clinical diagnosis. The liability-threshold model assumes that the causes of variation in risk will be the same at any point along the liability distribution and for any threshold imposed.32 Therefore, to maximize the statistical power, we dichotomized the DSM-IV symptom counts at 1 or more symptoms. Although this threshold conforms most closely to the idea of problem gambling, the assumption of the underlying model that we are imposing suggests that the results will apply equally to all levels of disordered gambling behavior, including PG.