Comorbid psychiatric disorders among older adult recovering pathological gamblers

The proliferation of state lotteries and casinos has led to an increased participation in gambling and its associated problems. Older retired adults have more opportunities to gamble and available funds than other demographic groups. For these reasons, older adults may constitute a special risk group for pathological gambling. Because substance misuse, mood and anxiety disorders, and personality disorders are common in problem and pathological gamblers, we sought to examine rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders in 40 older adults with lifetime pathological gambling using structured assessments of known reliability. The results indicate a high level of psychiatric comorbidity in this population including depression, alcohol dependence, panic and generalized anxiety disorders, as well as obsessive compulsive and avoidant personality disorders. Implications of these findings related to psychiatric care access are discussed.