Problem Gambling in Early Adulthood: A Population-Based Study (Emond et al., 2022)

[accordion start]

Full citation

Emond, A., Griffiths, M. D., & Hollén, L. (2022). Problem gambling in early adulthood: A population-based study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 20(2), 754–770. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00401-1.

[accordion end]

Region & Target Population

• Region: United Kingdom (Avon area, South-West England)
• ‍Target population: Young adults from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort, followed into early adulthood (age 20 and 24).

Study Design

• Longitudinal cohort study within ALSPAC.
• Two young-adult gambling surveys at ages 20 and 24

Sample Characteristics (with data-collection years)

• Underlying ALSPAC birth cohort:14,500 births (1991–1992).
• Age-20 gambling survey (ALSPAC young adult clinic/online survey):
  
  • Questionnaires sent to 9,061 cohort members; 4,263 (48%) returned.
  • Problem Gambling Severity Index PGSI items completed by N = 2,624 participants.
• Data collection aligned with the 2012–2013 ALSPAC age-20 wave
• Age-24 follow-up survey:
  
  • PGSI completed by N = 1,921 participants.
  • Corresponds to the 2016–2017 ALSPAC age-24 wave.

Longitudinal Timeline & Waves

• Birth cohort: 1991–1992 births enrolled at/around birth.4
• Wave 1 – Age 20 (2012–2013):
  
  • Computer-administered gambling survey (paper/online).
  • Measures: PGSI, gambling activities (frequency/types) and multiple psychosocial, developmental, and family factors.
• Wave 2 – Age 24 (2016–2017):
  
  • Follow-up gambling survey with PGSI and outcomes (substance use, depression, crime, social media use, employment).‍‍
• Follow-up duration: approx. 4 years between age 20 and 24 gambling assessments.

Measures Used‍

• ‍Gambling:‍
  
  • Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) at both 20 and 24 years, categorized into non-problem, low-risk, moderate-risk, and problem gambling.
• ‍Individual and family antecedents:‍
  
  • Hyperactivity and conduct problems (adolescence).
  • Sensation seeking, locus of control (mid/late teens).
  • Parental gambling, maternal education, financial difficulties, parental monitoring.‍
• ‍Outcomes at age 24:‍
  
  • Smoking, illicit drug use, alcohol use (including problematic use).
  • Depression/anxiety, self-harm, social media use, involvement in crime, employment status

Research Question‍

1. How prevalent is at-risk and problem gambling in early adulthood?
2. How stable is it between ages 20 and 24?
3. Which adolescent/young-adult risk factors predict moderate-risk/problem gambling and its later health and social consequences?

Key Findings

• 5–7% of young adults were moderate-risk/problem gamblers at both 20 and 24 years.
• Prevalence of moderate risk/problem gambling remained stable between age 20 and 24. Meaning those who were moderate-risk/problem gamblers at 20 were much more likely to remain so at 24 compared with low-risk or non-problem gamblers.
• Moderate risk/problem gamblers were predominantly male, gambling weekly across many activities, especially online betting and scratch cards.
• At age 20 risk factors of later problem gambling included:
  
  • Higher hyperactivity and conduct problems.
    
  • Higher sensation seeking.
  • More external locus of control.
  • Maternal problem gambling, financial difficulties, and low parental monitoring.
• At age 24, moderate risk/problem gambling was associated with:
  
  • Regular cigarette smoking.
    
  • Heavy and problematic alcohol use.
  • Illicit drug use.
  • Higher involvement in crime and high social media use.

Study Conclusion

Problem gambling in this UK birth cohort is not a rare or transient issue. Young adults mainly men, showed moderate risk/problem gambling at age 20, and these problems largely persisted into age 24, indicating that harmful gambling patterns can become rooted early in adulthood. The study demonstrates that problem gambling sits within a broader cluster of vulnerabilities: early externalizing problems, sensation seeking, external locus of control, family financial strain, parental gambling, and lower parental monitoring all increased the likelihood of later harm. By age 24, moderate-risk/problem gambling co-occurred with poly-substance use, heavier alcohol involvement, and crime, underscoring gambling’s role within a wider syndrome of risky behaviors.

The authors argue that prevention must start before age 18, and that interventions for young adult problem gamblers should not focus on gambling in isolation but should integrate mental health, substance use, and family context, targeting the psychosocial and developmental antecedents that shape trajectories into gambling harm.