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Religiosity and Chance Beliefs in Persons with DSM-IV Pathological Gambling Enrolled in a Longitudinal Follow-Up Study

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Abstract

This study investigates the association of public, private and intrinsic religiosity and chance beliefs (superstition, illusion of control) with gambling behavior in a longitudinal follow-up study of younger and older adult subjects with DSM-IV pathological gambling (PG) and an older adult comparison group without PG. One-hundred sixty-three subjects were enrolled including 60 younger adults with PG (≥ 18/< 40 years), 53 older adults with PG (≥ 60 years), and 50 older adults without PG (≥ 60). Subjects were assessed at baseline and every 6 months thereafter. The Duke University Religion Index for Religious Assessment and the Drake Beliefs About Chance scales were administered at baseline. Follow-up was a mean (SD) of 2.6 (1.4) years. Older adults with PG scored lower on measures of public and intrinsic aspects of religiosity than older adults without PG, and scored higher on superstition and illusion of control. Older adults with PG also scored higher than younger adults with PG on private and intrinsic religiosity, but not public religiosity. Superstition predicted intrinsic, but not other aspects of religiosity. Importantly, during follow-up, higher levels of public and intrinsic religiosity were protective against problematic (levels 2, 3) gambling; were protective against chronic PG; and were predictive of PG remission status. Lower illusion of control ratings were protective against problematic gambling and chronic PG; lower superstition ratings were predictive of remission. We conclude that higher levels of public and intrinsic religiosity and lower levels of chance beliefs are associated with a more benign PG course.

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Funding

The research was supported through a Grant from the National Institute on Aging (RO1AG037132).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Nicholas L. Bormann

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 2-126b MEB/Psychiatry Research, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Jeff Allen, Martha Shaw & Donald W. Black

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  1. Nicholas L. Bormann
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  2. Jeff Allen
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  3. Martha Shaw
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  4. Donald W. Black
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Correspondence to Donald W. Black.

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Conflict of interest

Dr. Black is a consultant to Otsuka and receives royalties from American Psychiatric Publishing, Oxford University Press, and UpToDate. Drs. Bormann and Allen, and Ms. Shaw report no conflicts.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Iowa Institutional Review Board and the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Bormann, N.L., Allen, J., Shaw, M. et al. Religiosity and Chance Beliefs in Persons with DSM-IV Pathological Gambling Enrolled in a Longitudinal Follow-Up Study. J Gambl Stud 35, 849–860 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-019-09857-w

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