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Traumatic brain injury as an independent risk factor for problem gambling: a matched case-control study

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology volume 54, pages 517–523 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

To assess whether traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases the risks of subsequent problem gambling.

Methods

We conducted a matched case–control analysis of adults in Ontario, Canada. The study included those who self-reported their gambling activities in the Canadian Community Health Survey 2007–2008. Using Problem Gambling Severity Index, we defined cases as those who were problem gamblers and controls who were recreational gamblers. Cases were matched to controls 1:2 using propensity scores based on demographics, prior mental health, and self-reported behaviours. The main predictor was prior TBI defined as requiring emergency care and identified using ICD-10 codes from administrative health databases. We estimated the likelihood of prior TBI in problem gamblers compared to controls using conditional logistic regression.

Results

Of 30,652 survey participants, 16,002 (53%) reported gambling activity of whom 14,910 (49%) were recreational gamblers and 4% (n = 1092) were problem gamblers. A total of 1469 respondents (5%) had a prior TBI. Propensity score matching yielded 2038 matched pairs with 1019 cases matched to 2037 controls. Case–control analysis showed a significant association between prior TBI and subsequent problem gambling (odds ratio 1.27, 95% confidence interval 1.07–1.51, P = 0.007). The increased risk was mostly apparent in men aged 35 to 64 years who reported alcohol use or smoking. The relative risk of problem gambling in those with two or more TBIs equated to an odds ratio of 2.04 (95% confidence interval 1.05–3.99).

Conclusions

We found that a prior TBI was associated with an increased subsequent risk of problem gambling. Our findings support more awareness, screening, and treating problem gambling risks among TBI patients.

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Funding

This work did not receive any direct funding. DAR is Canada Research Chair in Decision Sciences.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Sunnybrook Research Institute, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Toronto, Canada

    Junaid A. Bhatti & Donald A. Redelmeier

  2. Departments of Surgery and Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Junaid A. Bhatti & Donald A. Redelmeier

  3. Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Canada

    Junaid A. Bhatti, Deva Thiruchelvam & Donald A. Redelmeier

  4. Department of Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, G106, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada

    Junaid A. Bhatti

Authors
  1. Junaid A. Bhatti
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  2. Deva Thiruchelvam
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  3. Donald A. Redelmeier
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Contributions

JAB, DT, and DAR had full access to the data and take responsibility for accuracy of data analysis. Study concept and design: All authors. Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: All authors. Drafting of manuscript: JAB, DAR Statistical analysis: JAB, DT, DAR, Administrative support, obtained funding and supervision: Redelmeier.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Junaid A. Bhatti.

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Conflict of interest

No conflicts of interests were identified for any of the authors.

Disclaimer

The opinions, results, and conclusions of this manuscript are those of authors, and are independent of funding sources. No endorsement by the authors’ affiliate institutions or the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is intended or should be inferred.

Data sharing statement

No additional data available.

Research ethics statement

The study methods were approved by the Research Ethics Board of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, both located in Toronto ON, Canada.

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Bhatti, J.A., Thiruchelvam, D. & Redelmeier, D.A. Traumatic brain injury as an independent risk factor for problem gambling: a matched case-control study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 54, 517–523 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-018-1583-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-018-1583-1

Keywords

  • Concussion
  • Head injury
  • Pathological gambling