Traumatic Brain Injuries and Problem Gambling in Youth: Evidence from a Population-based Study of Secondary Students in Ontario, Canada

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2020 Oct 2

PMID 33007032

Citations 3

Authors

Nigel E Turner

Steven Cook

Jing Shi

Tara Elton-Marshall

Hayley Hamilton

Gabriela Ilie

Christine M Wickens

Andre J McDonald

Nico Trajtenberg

Michael D Cusimano

Robert E Mann

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is characterized by a change in brain function after an external force or sudden movement to the head. TBI is associated with risk-taking, impulsivity, psychological distress, substance abuse, and violent crime. Previous studies have also linked problem gambling to TBI, but these studies have not controlled for possible confounding variables such as mental health problems and hazardous drinking which are also linked to TBI. This study examines the relationship between problem gambling and TBI among adolescents. Data were obtained from the 2011, 2013 and 2015 cycles of the OSDUHS, a biennial cross-sectional school-based study of children in grades 7 to 12 (N = 9,198). Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) in controlled and uncontrolled analyses. Adjusting for sex and grade only, problem gambling was associated with a history of TBI (AOR = 2.8). This association remained significant after adjusting for hazardous drinking and suicidality (AOR = 2.0). In addition, problem gambling had a statistically significant relationship with being male (AOR = 4.7), hazardous drinking (AOR = 4.5), and suicidality (AOR = 3.1). This study provides further data to suggest a link between TBI and problem gambling. However, research is needed on the causal relationship between these variables and the potential implications for treatment and prevention.

Citing Articles

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Concussion history associated with adolescent psychological distress but not hazardous gambling: a cross-sectional study.

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A Perspective on Age Restrictions and Other Harm Reduction Approaches Targeting Youth Online Gambling, Considering Convergences of Gambling and Videogaming.

Shi J, Colder Carras M, Potenza M, Turner N Front Psychiatry. 2021; 11:601712.

PMID: 33584369 PMC: 7873963. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.601712.

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