Objective:
While it has been shown that disordered gamblers with psychosis are at increased risk for comorbid psychopathology, it is unclear whether this dual-diagnosis population is also at greater risk of problematic engagement with comorbid addictive behaviors.
Methods:
We tested for association between disordered gambling with psychosis and comorbid addictive behaviors in a sample of 349 treatment-seeking disordered gamblers.
Results:
Twenty-five (7.2%) disordered gamblers met criteria for psychosis. Disordered gamblers with psychosis were no more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for current alcohol/substance use disorder than disordered gamblers without psychosis. However, this dual-disorder population reported greater misuse of shopping, food bingeing, caffeine, and prescription drugs. When controlling for multiple comparisons, binge eating was the only addictive behavior to remain significant.
Conclusion:
Given these findings, a comprehensive assessment of addictive behaviors – specifically food bingeing – in this population may be warranted.
Disordered gambling; psychosis; addictive behaviors; comorbidity