Compounded effect of childhood depressive symptoms and impulsivity on adolescent gambling: A longitudinal study

Background:

While both depression and impulsivity have been found to be positively correlated to problem gambling (PG), no study has focused on their combined effect on PG. This study examines the possible synergistic effect childhood depressive symptoms and impulsivity has on adolescent gambling behaviors among a longitudinal cohort from Baltimore, MD.

Methods:

The South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised for Adolescents, Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation Revised, and Child Report Baltimore How I Feel-Young Child Version were used to assess adolescent gambling behaviors, childhood impulsivity, and childhood depressive symptoms, respectively. Logistic regression models estimated odds ratios adjusting for race, gender, lunch status, and sample design.

Results:

By age 19, black adolescents had a 54% increased odds of PG compared to whites. Males had a 75% decreased odds of having never gambled and an 85% increased odds of PG compared to females. Prior to adjustment, children with free/reduced-price lunches in elementary school have a 45% increased odds of becoming adolescent problem gamblers compared to other children; however, this figure lost significance upon adjustment. The finding that children who scored in the top 50% of impulsivity have 2.75 times the odds of PG in adolescence compared to those with lower impulsivity also becomes insignificant upon adjustment. Childhood depressive symptoms do not significantly affect adolescent gambling behavior, and no interaction is observed between childhood depressive symptoms and impulsivity on PG.

Conclusion:

Childhood depressive symptoms and impulsivity appear to have no synergistic effect on adolescent PG because data only indicates childhood impulsivity as a risk factor.