Motivations and volition underlying youth at-risk gambling: the application of the Health Action Process Approach model

© 2015 Dr. Sophia Despina VasiliadisMany young adults in developed countries have grown up in an environment greater accessibility and diversity of gambling products. Despite the evidence of substantial vulnerability, youth gambling research has trailed behind research with adults. This research has generally been conducted without the context of a theoretical framework, limiting the ability to provide meaningful context to evidence. The primary aim of this study was to explore the utility of the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model in explaining gambling involvement and problem gambling among young adults. The distinguishing proposition of this behaviour model is that intention indirectly predicts behaviour through action planning and strategies for overcoming barriers to the behaviour. The study also aimed to explore how the addition of gambling motivations could significantly contribute to the HAPA model. In order to examine motivations in this way, the study also tested the Motivation Model’s assertion that motivations are proximal predictors of behaviour, beyond co-occurring issues such as substance use and impulsivity. This study took a novel approach in two key respects: a) the first application of the HAPA model to a health compromising behaviour (i.e. gambling) on the premise that similar factors underlie both health promoting and compromising behaviours, and b) the examination of gambling involvement (and problem gambling severity), on which there was comparatively little evidence or theoretical modelling at the time this study was conducted. A sample 823 young adults (18 to 25 year olds) in Victoria, Australia, completed an online survey. Participants were primarily students from five universities and technical and further education (TAFE) institutions. The sample showed similar socio-demographic diversity to the population of young adults in Victoria. The HAPA model showed adequate utility in explaining gambling involvement and problem gambling severity. This indicated that motivation and volition factors are important in gambling, with intention being secondary to knowledge of, and accessibility to gambling products, and a means to continue gambling. Some support was demonstrated for the inclusion of gambling motivation factors in the HAPA model. A strong, direct relationship between gambling problem severity and emotion regulation motivations was observed. Different outcomes observed for gambling involvement and problem gambling severity indicated that these are related, but different constructs. Weaker associations found with gambling involvement indicated limitations in measurement. More research is required to develop a valid and reliable measure of involvement. Support for the HAPA model indicated that strict regulation of gambling product accessibility could be an effective early intervention approach. This finding also suggests that similar factors underlie health promoting and compromising behaviours. Further research into the broader utility of the HAPA model is warranted. Signs of gambling for emotion regulation, e.g. for a thrill or escape, should be included in education campaigns in schools and across media platforms, and should be addressed by professionals working with youth in assessment, referral, and treatment plans. Further research in this area is required to develop a better understanding of the role of these factors in the development of gambling problems, and success in recovery