A dimensional approach to the assessment of psychiatric comorbidity in treatment-seeking subjects with Gambling Disorder

Gambling disorder (GD) is defined as “persistent and recurrent problematic gambling behavior leading to clinically significant impairment or distress” and in the last edition of the DSM-5, it was categorized into the substance related and addictive disorders group. GD has also been consistently associated with a range of co-morbid psychiatric conditions, including alcohol and substance use disorders, mood and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and neurodevelopmental disorders. The present study was aimed at examining in a sample of 48 treatment-seeking subjects with GD rates of psychiatric comorbidity by the use of the SCID-5, besides evaluating mood, posttraumatic stress and autistic spectrum symptoms by means of the MOODS-SR, TALS-SR and AdAS Spectrum scales. Secondary objective was to investigate the possible relationship between the psychiatric comorbidity and the severity of the GD. The study sample was found to be affected by high rates of psychiatric comorbidity. Furthermore, relevant mood, posttraumatic stress and autistic spectrum symptoms were reported by the subjects, with levels significantly higher than in healthy controls. The various symptomathological dimensions assessed by the three spectrum tools appear to be also related to the severity of specific features of GD. Future longitudinal studies on the relationship between these different psychopathological cluster and the GD are needed in order to identify specific and also better treatment strategies for these complex condition