Do emotion regulation and impulsivity differ according to gambling preferences in clinical samples of gamblers?

Background and aims: Emotion regulation (ER) and impulsivity impairments have been reported in patients with gambling disorder (GD). However, both constructs have not been studied in depth jointly in clinical samples. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze ER and impulsive tendencies/traits...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Vintró Alcaraz, Cristina, Mestre-Bach, Gemma, Granero, Roser, Gómez-Peña, Mónica, Moragas, Laura, Fernández Aranda, Fernando, Jiménez-Murcia, Susana
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2022
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/184081
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/184081
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Joc compulsiu
Impulsos (Psicologia)
Emocions
Trastorns de la conducta
Compulsive gambling
Impulse
Emotions
Behavior disorders
Description
Summary:Background and aims: Emotion regulation (ER) and impulsivity impairments have been reported in patients with gambling disorder (GD). However, both constructs have not been studied in depth jointly in clinical samples. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze ER and impulsive tendencies/traits in a sample of n = 321 treatment-seeking individuals with GD by differentiating them according to their gambling preference (n = 100 strategic; n = 221 non-strategic). Methods: Our sample was assessed through the DERS (ER), the UPPS-P (impulsivity), and the DSM-5 (GD severity). Results: The non-strategic group included a higher proportion of women and reported greater ER impairments, and more impulsive traits/tendencies compared to strategic gamblers. GD severity was associated with all DERS subscale (except for awareness) and with urgency dimensions of the UPPS-P. Discussion and conclusions: Our findings confirm that strategic and non-strategic gamblers differ in their ER processes and impulsive tendencies, showing the first clinical group a more adaptive profile. These results suggest the relevance of assessing these ER and impulsivity in order to tailor better treatment approaches.