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Suicidality in Non-Treatment Seeking Young Adults with Subsyndromal Gambling Disorder

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Abstract

Gambling Disorder is associated with elevated rates of suicidal thoughts and acts. However, virtually nothing is known about suicidality in people with subsyndromal forms of gambling disorder. A total of 174 non-treatment seeking subjects were recruited for a study of impulsivity and met criteria for a subsyndromal form of DSM-5 gambling disorder (31.0 % females; mean age = 21.7 ± 3.61 years). Subjects were categorized as being ‘at risk of suicide’ or ‘no suicide risk’ based on the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Those with and without suicidality were compared on clinical and cognitive measures. 32 (18.4 %) met MINI criteria for suicidality. Suicidality was significantly associated with mood and anxiety disorders, greater rates of nicotine consumption, and relative impairments in decision-making and cognitive flexibility. These findings suggest that decision-making impairments may be implicated in the development of both gambling problems and suicidality. Future work should address causality, neural correlates, and tailored suicide prevention strategies for people with, or at risk for, disordered forms of gambling.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Center of Excellence in Gambling Research grant from the National Center for Responsible Gaming to Dr. Grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 3077, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Jon E. Grant, Katherine Derbyshire & Eric Leppink

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Samuel R. Chamberlain

  3. Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Peterborough, UK

    Samuel R. Chamberlain

Authors
  1. Jon E. Grant
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  2. Katherine Derbyshire
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  3. Eric Leppink
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  4. Samuel R. Chamberlain
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Correspondence to Jon E. Grant.

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Grant, J.E., Derbyshire, K., Leppink, E. et al. Suicidality in Non-Treatment Seeking Young Adults with Subsyndromal Gambling Disorder. Psychiatr Q 85, 513–522 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-014-9312-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-014-9312-8

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