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Assessing the mediating role of impulsivity between methamphetamine-induced psychotic disorders and increased gambling severity in methamphetamine-dependent individuals

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Abstract

Pathological gambling (PG) and methamphetamine-induced psychotic disorders (MIPD) both frequently occurs in methamphetamine-dependent individuals. The current study examined whether impulsivity mediated the relationship between MIPD and gambling severity. The sample consisted of 320 pathological gamblers with methamphetamine dependence (mean age 32.6 years, ranging from 15 to 64 years) voluntarily recruited from three rehabilitation centers in Hunan, China. The semistructured clinical interview of DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders Patient Edition was used to diagnosis the presence of MIPD and PG by registered psychiatrists. The severity of gambling symptoms was assessed using the global assessment of functioning scale, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 provided a measure of impulsivity. Of the sample, 53.4% of participants (n = 171) met diagnostic criteria for MIPD. Individuals with a dual diagnosis of MIPD were associated with higher levels of impulsivity and greater gambling severity. Notably, support for our hypothesized mediation model was found such that impulsivity mediated the association between MIPD and gambling severity. Our findings imply that impulsivity appears to be a transdiagnostic process, which may be targeted in treatment among pathological gamblers with a dual diagnosis of MIPD to reduce gambling behaviors. Limits and future directions for research are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the subjects who participated in this study.

Funding

This work was supported by the Key Program of the National Natural Science of China [Grant Number 81130020] and the National 973 Program [Grant Number 2015CB553500] to Wei Hao; the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant Number 82001405] to Huixi Dong.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mental Health Institute of the Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

    Huixi Dong

  2. National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

    Huixi Dong

  3. Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China

    Yidong Shen & Wei Hao

  4. National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China

    Yidong Shen & Wei Hao

  5. National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China

    Yidong Shen & Wei Hao

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  1. Huixi Dong
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  2. Yidong Shen
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  3. Wei Hao
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HD writing—original draft and methodology. YS data curation, writing—review and editing, WH writing—review and editing.

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Correspondence to Yidong Shen or Wei Hao.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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The research protocol and consent procedures were approved by the Hunan Ethics Committee of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. Written informed consent was obtained from all enrolled participants. The procedures were in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 1983.

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Dong, H., Shen, Y. & Hao, W. Assessing the mediating role of impulsivity between methamphetamine-induced psychotic disorders and increased gambling severity in methamphetamine-dependent individuals. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 272, 1109–1117 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-021-01320-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-021-01320-5

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