As Americans Turn Increasingly to Internet Betting, APA Releases New Edition of Gambling Disorder Guide

Nov 22, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 22, 2021 – More Americans than ever are placing bets on sports online, according to many recent reports. The vast majority of people who gamble are able to do so without any long-lasting problems, but research has shown that up to 1 percent of the population currently has a gambling disorder. Gambling disorder involves repeated, problem gambling. Despite significant personal and familial problems caused by the individual’s behavior, those with gambling disorder struggle to control their gambling.

In the midst of the widespread adoption of online gambling, APA Publishing has released the second edition of Gambling Disorder, A Clinical Guide to Treatment. The new text offers clinicians the most up-to-date information for identifying and treating gambling disorder. Edited by Jon E. Grant, M.D., M.P.H., J.D., and Marc N. Potenza, M.D., Ph.D., this text explores a factor some clinicians are not aware of, specifically the personal and societal consequences of gambling disorder related to public health.

The text is the first revision since its predecessor was published in 2004. Researchers have created a vast catalog of innovative research relating to gambling disorder since then.

Gambling Disorder includes 12 updated chapters, including a new chapter on gambling and gambling-game convergence. Also included are assessment scales and diagnostic criteria from the DSM-5. Some noteworthy topics include:

• Currently available screening and assessment instruments for diagnosing gambling disorder.
• The growth of interactive platforms, new player experiences and reward structures, tailoring of products to individuals, and integration into other online activities, such as gaming and social media.
• Gender and age differences identified among patients with gambling disorder, with important treatment implications.
• Examination of gambling as it relates to criminal/legal issues, such as the relationship of gambling disorder to antisocial personality disorder and domestic abuse and looking at the interface between gambling and the legal system.
• Comprehensive chapters on psychosocial and pharmacological treatments.

Jon E. Grant, M.D., M.P.H., J.D., is professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Chicago. Marc N. Potenza, M.D., Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Child Study Center, and Department of Neuroscience at Yale School of Medicine; and senior scientist at the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling in New Haven, Connecticut.

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,400 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA's vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information please visit www.psychiatry.org.