Skip to main content
Log in

Alexithymia and Gambling: A Risk Factor for All Gamblers?

Journal of Gambling Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate alexithymia (in relation with depression) in three groups of French gamblers (n = 186) recruited in their gambling location: at the racetracks (n = 80 males; mean age 28.1 years), in the slot machine rooms (n = 65; 29 males, 36 females; mean age 34.6 years), and in the traditional gaming rooms (n = 41 males; mean age 36 years). Gambling behavior was measured by the South Oaks Gambling Screen and DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling, Alexithymia by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and depression with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-13). For racetracks and slot machine gambling, pathological gamblers differed from non-pathological gamblers, regarding their alexithymia scores. These results remained stable after controlling for depression scores among the racetracks gamblers only. The relationship between alexithymia and depression depends on the type of pathological gambler. These findings are consistent with the idea of identifying clinically distinct subgroups of gamblers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aino, K. M., Jouko, K. S., Tapio, N., & Matti, J. (2006). Age is strongly associated with alexithymia in the general population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 61, 629–635.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bach, M., De Zwaan, M., Ackard, D., Nutzinger, D. O., & Mitchell, J. E. (1994). Alexithymia: Relationship to personality disorders. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 35, 239–243.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bagby, R. M., & Taylor, G. J. (1997). Affect dysregulation and alexithymia. In G. J. Taylor, R. M. Bagby, & J. D. A. Parker (Eds.), Disorders of affects regulation: Alexithymia in medical and psychiatric illness (pp. 26–45). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bagby, R. M., Taylor, G. J., & Parker, J. D. A. (1994). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale-II. Convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38, 33–40.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bagby, R. M., Taylor, G. J., Parker, J. D. A., & Dickens, S. E. (2006). The development of the Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia: Items selection, factor structure, reliability and concurrent validity. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 75, 25–39.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bagby, R. M., Vachon, D. D., Bulmash, E. L., Toneatto, T., Quilty, L. C., & Costa, P. T. (2007). Pathological gambling and the five factor model personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 873–880.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagby, R. M., Vachon, D. D., Bulmash, E., & Quilty, L. C. (2008). Personality disorders and pathological gambling: A review and re-examination of prevalence rates. Journal of Personality Disorders, 22(2), 191–207.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., & Beamesderfer, A. (1974). Assessment of depression. The depression inventory. In P. Pichot & R. Olivier-Martin (Eds.), Psychological measurements in psychopharmacology. Oxford: England: S. Karger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berthoz, S. (2001). 30 ans d’étude de l’alexithymie: De la psychosomatique à la neuro-imagerie fonctionnelle. Neuro-psy, 16, 5–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blaszczynski, A., & Nower, L. (2002). A pathways model of problem and pathological gambling. Addiction, 7, 487–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonnaire, C., Bungener, C., & Varescon, I. (2009). Subtypes of French pathological gamblers: Comparison of sensation seeking, alexithymia and depression scores. Journal of Gambling Studies, 28, 455–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bourke, M. P., Taylor, G. J., Parker, J. D., & Bagby, R. M. (1992). Alexithymia in women with anorexia nervosa. A preliminary investigation. British Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 240–243.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cochrane, C. E., Brewerton, T. D., Wilson, D. B., & Hodges, E. L. (1993). Alexithymia in the eating disorders. Internal Journal of Eating Disorders, 14, 219–222.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Corcos, M., Guilbaud, O., Speranza, M., Paterniti, S., Loas, G., Stephan, P., et al. (2000). Alexithymia and depression in eating disorders. Psychiatry Research, 93, 265–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Groot, J. M., Rodin, G., & Olmsted, M. P. (1995). Alexithymia, depression, and treatment outcome in bulimia nervosa. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 36, 53–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dickerson, M. G. (1993). Internal and external determinants of persistent gambling: Problems in generalising from one form of gambling to another. Journal of Gambling Studies, 9, 225–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farges, F., Corcos, M., Loas, G., Perez-Diaz, F., Speranza, M., Guilbaud, O., et al. (2003). Alexithymie et dépression dans la toxicomanie. In M. Corcos, M. Flament, & P. Jeammet (Eds.), Les conduites de dépendance. Dimensions psychopathologiques communes (pp. 192–199). Paris: Masson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farges, F., Corcos, M., Speranza, M., Loas, G., Perez-Diaz, F., Venisse, J. L., Lang, F., Bizouard, P., Halfon, O., Flament, M., & Jeammet, Ph. (2004). Alexithymie et toxicomanie: lien avec la dépression. L’Encéphale, 30(3), 201–211.

  • Gould, J. (1982). A psychometric investigation of the standard and short form Beck Depression Inventory. Psychological Reports, 51, 1167–1170.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grabe, H. J., Spitzer, C., & Freyberger, H. J. (2004). Alexithymia and personality in relation to dimension of psychopathology. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 1299–1301.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haroun El Rasheed, A. (2001). Alexithymia and Egyptian substance abusers. Substance Abuse, 22, 11–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haviland, M. G., Hendryx, M. S., Shaw, D. G., & Henry, J. P. (1994). Alexithymia in women and men hospitalized for psychoactive substance dependence. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 35, 124–128.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haviland, M. G., Shaw, D. G., MacMurray, J. P., & Cummings, M. A. (1988). Validation of the TAS with substance abusers. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 50, 81–87.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Honkalampi, K., Hintikka, J., Tanskanen, A., Lehtonen, J., & Viinamäki, H. (2000). Depression is strongly associated with alexithymia in the general population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 48, 99–104.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jimerson, D. C., Wolfe, B. E., Franko, D. L., Civino, N. A., & Sifneos, P. E. (1994). Alexithymia rating in boulimia nervosa: Clinical correlates. Psychosomatic Medicine, 56, 90–93.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kojima, M., Senda, Y., Nagaya, T., Tokudome, S., & Furukawa, T. A. (2003). Alexithymia, depression and social support among Japanese workers. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 72, 307–314.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ledgerwood, D. M., & Petry, N. M. (2006). Psychological experience of gambling and subtypes of pathological gamblers. Psychiatry Research, 144, 17–27.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lejoyeux, M. (1999). Echelles de dépistage du jeu pathologique. Neuro-psy, 14, 67–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemperière, T., Lepine, J. P., Rouillon, F., Hardy, P., Ades, J., Luaute, J. P., et al. (1984). Comparaison de différents instruments d’évaluation de la dépression à l’occasion d’une étude sur l’Athymil 30 mg. Annales Médico-Psychologiques, 142, 1206–1212.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lesieur, H. R., & Blume, S. B. (1987). The South Oaks Gambling Screen: A new instrument for the identification of pathological gambling. American Journal of Psychiatry, 14, 1184–1188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loas, G., Otmani, O., Lecercle, C., & Jouvent, R. (2000). Relationships between the emotional and cognitive components of alexithymia and dependency in alcoholics. Psychiatry Research, 96, 63–74.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loas, G., Otmani, O., Verrier, A., Fremaux, D., & Marchand, M. P. (1996). Factor analysis of the French version of the 20-Item Alexithymia scale (TAS-20). Psychopathology, 29, 139–144.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loas, G., Parker, J. A., Otmani, O., Verrier, A., & Fremaux, D. (1997). Confirmatory factor analysis of the French translation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 85, 1018.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luminet, O., Bagby, R. M., Wagner, H., Taylor, G. J., & Parker, J. D. A. (1999). Relation between alexithymia and the five-factor model of personality: A facet-level analysis. Journal of Personality Assessment, 73, 345–358.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lumley, M. A., & Roby, K. J. (1995). Alexithymia and pathological gambling. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 63, 201–206.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mitrovic, D., & Brown, J. (2009). Poker mania and problem gambling: A study of distorted cognitions, motivation and alexithymia. Journal of Gambling Studies, 25, 489–502.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, J. D., Bagby, R. M., & Taylor, G. J. (1991). Alexithymia and depression. Distinct or overlapping constructs? Comprehensive Psychiatry, 32, 387–394.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, J. D., Taylor, G. J., & Bagby, R. M. (2003). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale-III. Reliability and foctorial validity in a community population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 55, 269–275.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, J. D., Wood, L. M., Bond, B. J., & Shaughnessy, P. (2005). Alexithymia in young adulthood: A risk factor for pathological gambling. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 74, 51–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petry, N. M. (2003). A comparison of treatment-seeking pathological gamblers on preferred gambling activities. Addiction, 98, 645–655.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petry, N. M., Stinson, F. S., & Grant, B. F. (2005). Comorbidity of DSM-IV pathological gambling and other psychiatric disorders: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on alcohol and related conditions. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 66(5), 564–574.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salminen, J. K., Saarijärvi, S., Äärelä, E., Toikka, T., & Kauhanen, J. (1999). Prevalence of alexithymia and its association with sociodemographic variables in the general population of Finland. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 46, 75–82.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanislow, C. A., Grilo, C. M., Morey, L. C., Bender, D. S., Skodol, A. E., Gunderson, J. G., et al. (2002). Confirmatory factor analysis of DSM-IV criteria for borderline personality disorder: Findings from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(2), 284–290.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sifneos, P. E. (1973). Is dynamic psychotherapy contraindicated for a large number of patients with psychosomatic diseases? Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 21, 133–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slutske, W. S., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., & Poulton, R. (2005). Personality and problem gambling: A prospective study of a birth cohort of young adults. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(7), 769–775.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Speranza, M., Corcos, M., Guilbaud, O., Loas, G., & Jeammet, Ph. (2005). Alexithymia, personality and psychopathology. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 1029–1030.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Speranza, M., Corcos, M., Loas, G., Guilbaud, O., Stéphan, P., Taieb, O., et al. (2003). Alexithymie et dépression dans les troubles des conduits alimentaires. In M. Corcos, M. Flament, & P. Jeammet (Eds.), Les conduites de dépendance. Dimensions psychopathologiques communes (pp. 173–183). Paris: Masson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, S. H., Zack, M., Collins, P., Klein, R. M., & Fragopoulos, F. (2008). Subtyping pathological gamblers on the basis of affective motivations for gambling: relations to gambling problesm, drinking problems, and affective motivations for drinking. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 22(2), 257–268.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stinchfield, R. (2002). Reliability, validity, and classification accuracy of the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). Addictive Behaviors, 27, 1–19.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stinchfield, R. (2003). Reliability, validity, and classification accuracy of a measure of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 180–182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stinchfield, R., Govoni, R., & Frisch, G. R. (2005). DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling: reliability, validity and classification accuracy. The American Journal on Addictions, 14, 73–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sureda, B., Valdes, M., Jodar, I., & de Pablo, J. (1999). Alexithymia, type A behavior and bulimia nervosa. European Eating Disorders Review, 7, 286–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taïeb, O., Corcos, M., Loas, G., Speranza, M., Guilbaud, O., Farges, F., et al. (2003). Alexithymie et dépression dans les conduites de dépendance à l’alcool. In M. Corcos, M. Flament, & Ph Jeammet (Eds.), Les conduites de dépendance. Dimensions psychopathologiques communes (pp. 183–192). Paris: Masson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. J., Bagby, R. M., & Parker, J. D. A. (1997). Disorders of affect regulation: alexithymia in medical and psychiatric illness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. J., Bagby, R. M., & Parker, J. D. A. (2003). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale-IV. Cross-cultural validity and reliability. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 55, 277–283.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. J., Parker, J. D. A., Bagby, R. M., & Bourke, M. P. (1996). Relationships between alexithymia and psychological characteristics associated with eating disorders. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 41, 561–568.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Toneatto, T., Lecce, J., & Bagby, M. (2009). Alexithymia and pathological gambling. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 28, 193–198.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Uzun, O. (2003). Alexithymia in male alcoholics: Study in a Turkish sample. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 44, 349–352.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vachon, D. D., & Bagby, R. M. (2009). Pathological gambling subtypes. Psychological Assessment, 21(4), 608–615.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Céline Bonnaire.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bonnaire, C., Bungener, C. & Varescon, I. Alexithymia and Gambling: A Risk Factor for All Gamblers?. J Gambl Stud 29, 83–96 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-012-9297-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-012-9297-x

Keywords

Navigation