Study links gambling problems to mental disorders

Most gambling addicts in Hong Kong also have some other form of mental disorder, according to a study conducted by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the Divisions of Addictions for Harvard Medical School, and the Department of Applied Social Science of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Researchers of the three institutions spent nine months interviewing and collecting information from 201 gamblers. The subjects were all problem gamblers who sought help for their addiction.
During the study period, over sixty percent of the subjects were diagnosed as having at least one mental disorder. The disorders ranged from depression to anxiety, and have been linked to gambling addiction in the past. The results caused the researchers to push for more mental health help.
Problem gambling has reached heightened levels in recent years in Hong Kong thanks to the casino industry in Macau, analysts say. The Asian gaming centre has caused many Hong Kong residents to visit, and these high rollers sometimes fall into a betting pattern that is unhealthy.
Meanwhile, in Macau, the latest survey of the Institute of Commercial Gaming of the University of Macau and the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau found that this year the prevalence rate of problem gambling is close to three percent, which is much higher than in other gaming jurisdictions in the region.
In 2003, 1.7 percent of the residents between 15 and 64 years of age were handling a gambling addiction problem, while in 2007, the prevalence rate increased to 2.6 percent.