The influence of sex, temperament, risk-taking and mental health on the emergence of gambling: a longitudinal study of young people

Murat Yuecel; Sarah Whittle; George J Youssef; Himani Kashyap; Julian G Simmons; Orli Schwartz; Dan I Lubman; Nicholas B Allen

Journal article

The influence of sex, temperament, risk-taking and mental health on the emergence of gambling: a longitudinal study of young people

Murat Yuecel, Sarah Whittle, George J Youssef, Himani Kashyap, Julian G Simmons, Orli Schwartz, Dan I Lubman, Nicholas B Allen

INTERNATIONAL GAMBLING STUDIES | ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD | Published : 2015

DOI: 10.1080/14459795.2014.1000356

Abstract

There are a host of complex and interlinked psychological, social and biological factors involved in the development of problem gambling (PG). While existing research, which is predominantly cross-sectional, shows that emerging adulthood is a critical period for PG, the early risk factors for PG are currently unknown. Here, we recruited a sample of 156 early adolescents with no history of PG (mean age 12.6 years) and longitudinally followed them up into late adolescence (mean age 18.9 years) to investigate the role of sex, risk-taking behaviour and changes in temperament and psychiatric symptoms in the evolution of risky gambling behaviour. There were sex-independent effects of temperament a..

View full abstract

University of Melbourne Researchers

Sarah Whittle Author Psychiatry

Nick Allen Author Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences

Orli Schwartz Author Centre for Youth Mental Health

Julian Simmons Author Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences

Related Projects (3)

EMERGING SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS IN YOUNG PEOPLE

Mental disorders, such as psychotic and severe mood disorders, are the largest cause of disability in Australia. However, there is still lit..

Sensitivity to the environment: Risk and resilience for adolescent depression

Depression is among the leading causes of disability and disease burden throughout the world. Little is known about how biological and envir..

Brain development during adolescence and the emergence of depression: A longitudinal MRI study.

Traditionally mental health services have focused on established disorders. Whilst significant gains in outcomes have been obtained in other..

Grants

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC; Australia)

Awarded by Australian Research Council (ARC)

Awarded by NHMRC

Funding Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grants from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, the Colonial Foundation, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC; Australia; Program Grant 350241) and the Australian Research Council (ARC; Discovery Grant DP0878136). MY is supported by an NHMRC Fellowship Award (ID: 1021973). SW is supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (ID: 1007716).