Network analysis of DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder: considering sex differences in a large clinical sample

Background: The fifth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and its revised version (DSM-5-TR) propose severity levels for gambling disorder (GD) based on the number of criteria met. However, this taxonomy has some limitations. We aimed to assess the centralit...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Lucas, Ignacio, Mora Maltas, Bernat, Granero, Roser, Demetrovics, Zsolt, Ciudad-Fernández, Víctor, Nigro, Giovanna, Cosenza, Marina, Rosinska, Magda, Tapia-Martínez, Javier, Fernández Aranda, Fernando, Jiménez-Murcia, Susana
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/216537
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/216537
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Joc compulsiu
Adults
Psicodiagnòstic
Compulsive gambling
Adulthood
Psychodiagnostics
Descripción
Sumario:Background: The fifth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and its revised version (DSM-5-TR) propose severity levels for gambling disorder (GD) based on the number of criteria met. However, this taxonomy has some limitations. We aimed to assess the centrality of each criterion and its relationship by conducting a network analysis while considering sex differences. Methods: We performed a network analysis with the DSM-5 criteria for GD with data from 4,203 treatment-seeking patients (3,836 men and 367 women) diagnosed with GD who sought for treatment in a general tertiary hospital which has a unit specialized in behavioral addictions. Results: The withdrawal criterion ("Restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling") showed the highest centrality values in both sexes. In men, the second most central criterion was the tolerance criterion ("Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement"); while among women, the second was the chasing losses criterion ("After losing money gambling, often returns another day to get even"). Conclusions: The most central criteria identified are associated with compulsivity-driven behaviors of the addictive process. Taking into account the high relevance and transitive capacity of withdrawal in both men and women, as well as tolerance in men, and chasing losses in women, the recognition and understanding of these symptoms are fundamental for the accurate diagnosis and severity assessment of GD.