Youth gambling represents a potentially serious public policy and health issue. Nevertheless, the rise in youth gambling issues and problems in the global context is not matched with a parallel increase in research on adolescent gambling. As such, there is an urgent need to conduct more studies on adolescent gambling behaviour. Recently significant advances in the knowledge of the risk factors associated with adolescent problems has emerged. This book addresses issues related to prevalence, assessment, prevention and treatment of youth gambling problems as well as concerns related to technological changes associated with youth problem gambling.
"In light of a growing epidemic of teen gambling, this book provides a better understanding of the causes and extent of youth gambling problems, assessment tools to identify teens with gambling addictions and related issues, and strategies for the prevention and treatment of youth who gamble"--
This book provides an overview of the state of the art in research on and treatment of gambling disorder. As a behavioral addiction, gambling disorder is of increasing relevance to the field of mental health. Research conducted in the last decade has yielded valuable new insights into the characteristics and etiology of gambling disorder, as well as effective treatment strategies. The different chapters of this book present detailed information on the general concept of addiction as applied to gambling, the clinical characteristics, epidemiology and comorbidities of gambling disorder, as well as typical cognitive distortions found in patients with gambling disorder. In addition, the book includes chapters discussing animal models and the genetic and neurobiological underpinnings of the disorder. Further, it is examining treatment options including pharmacological and psychological intervention methods, as well as innovative new treatment approaches. The book also discusses relevant similarities to and differences with substance-related disorders and other behavioral addictions. Lastly, it examines gambling behavior from a cultural perspective, considers possible prevention strategies and outlines future perspectives in the field.
Mark Griffiths has carried out extensive research into why some adolescents get hooked on gambling, how they gamble and what can be done about it. In this book he provides an overview of adolescent gambling worldwide.
The rise in legalized gambling in the United States over the last fifteen years has led to much debate among scientists and practitioners about how to conceptualize and study the phenomenon, treat persons who experience difficulties controlling their level of play, and prevent individuals from becoming problem or 'pathological' gamblers. The current volume brings together a group of basic and applied behavior scientists to discuss these matters. Gambling is designed to allow readers familiar with the general concepts and principles of behavior analysis to understand how the field is addressing the area of gambling. Graduate students taking classes in behavioral applications, or those enrolled in seminars specific to gambling, will find this collection of papers a vital resource. The book will also be useful to clinicians interested in understanding the basic and conceptual foundations that underlie successful prevention and treatment approaches.
This book describes the drawbacks and benefits of gambling, discusses its many types, its growth, and explores its history, from ancient religious rituals to present practices, and how technology serves to promote it. Also included are the personal stories of teens who have had gambling problems. Contains a bibliography, chapter notes, a glossary, and an index.
Howard J. Shaffer, Ph. D. More than 20 years ago, I first noted that young people in North America were growing up in a context of legalized gambling for their entire lifetime. By the 1980s, for young people, gambling had become an average and expectable part of the social landscape. Amid legal opportunities to gamble in all but two of the United States and with illicit opportunities to gamble in every state, gambling is now ubiquitous in America. With few social sa- tions to limit a young person’s interest in gambling—like their adult co- terparts—young people now gamble in larger numbers and for seemingly higher stakes. Gradually, gambling-related problems became more visible for young people and the culture slowly but increasingly took notice. By the late 1990s, every sector of American and Canadian society had started to c- sider the effects of legalized gambling on youth. For different reasons, r- resentatives of the gambling and health care industries led the movement to prevent youthful gambling and reconcile existing problems whenever p- sible. Scientists also recognized that there was much to be learned by stu- ing young gamblers. Toward the end of the 20th century, there was a rapid increase in gambling research focusing on developmental issues; half of what is known about gambling emerged during the 1990s. This volume represents an important event in the continuing growth of a field.
As states have moved from merely tolerating gambling to running their own games, as communities have increasingly turned to gambling for an economic boost, important questions arise. Has the new age of gambling increased the proportion of pathological or problem gamblers in the U.S. population? Where is the threshold between "social betting" and pathology? Is there a real threat to our families, communities, and the larger society? Pathological Gambling explores America's experience of gambling, examining: The diverse and frequently controversial issues surrounding the definition of pathological gambling. Its co-occurrence with disorders such as alcoholism, drug abuse, and depression. Its social characteristics and economic consequences, both good and bad, for communities. The role of video gaming, Internet gambling, and other technologies in the development of gambling problems. Treatment approaches and their effectiveness, from Gambler's Anonymous to cognitive therapy to pharmacology. This book provides the most up-to-date information available on the prevalence of pathological and problem gambling in the United States, including a look at populations that may have a particular vulnerability to gambling: women, adolescents, and minority populations. Its describes the effects of problem gambling on families, friendships, employment, finances, and propensity to crime. How do pathological gamblers perceive and misperceive randomness and chance? What are the causal pathways to pathological gambling? What do genetics, brain imaging, and other studies tell us about the biology of gambling? Is there a bit of sensation-seeking in all of us? Who needs treatment? What do we know about the effectiveness of different policies for dealing with pathological gambling? The book reviews the available facts and frames the intriguing questions yet to be answered. Pathological Gambling will be the odds-on favorite for anyone interested in gambling in America: policymakers, public officials, economics and social researchers, treatment professionals, and concerned gamblers and their families.
Learn more effective treatments for adolescents with abuse substance disorder Dual diagnosis of adolescent substance use disorders and comorbid psychiatric disorders must be treated simultaneously to be effective. Adolescent Substance Abuse: Psychiatric Comorbidity and High Risk Behaviors presents leading experts offering insightful viewpoints and dynamic suggestions on how to best provide simultaneous treatment and integrated services to these youths. The book covers the state of the art in the field of substance use disorders, and reviews different psychiatric disorders and high risk behaviors, and then addresses the issue of integrated services and ethical, legal, and policy issues pertaining to this population. In the field of adolescent substance abuse treatment, dual diagnosis is the rule rather than the exception, making assessment and treatment complicated. Adolescent Substance Abuse: Psychiatric Comorbidity and High Risk Behaviors comprehensively discusses the magnitude, etiology, and characteristics of problems and substance abuse disorders (SUD), and extensively explains ways to assess, treat, and develop services for adolescents. This unique text closely examines the assessment and treatment of psychiatric comorbid disorders among adolescents such as depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD, and high risk behaviors including suicidal behavior, self-harm behavior, and gambling behavior. The text is extensively referenced and several chapters include helpful tables and figures to clearly display the data. Topics examined in Adolescent Substance Abuse: Psychiatric Comorbidity and High Risk Behaviors include: etiology of adolescent substance abuse assessment treatment planning psychosocial interventions pharmacological interventions disruptive behavior disorders attention deficit hyperactivity disorder depression bi-polar mood disorder anxiety disorders trauma and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suicidal and self-harm behaviors schizophrenia eating disorder gambling behavior Adolescent Substance Abuse: Psychiatric Comorbidity and High Risk Behaviors is an invaluable resource for mental health professionals, pediatricians, family physicians, nurses, addictions specialists, counselors, educators, students, and drug court professionals who provide assessment and treatment for youths with substance use disorders.
