1. Disordered gambling among
racial and ethnic groups
CARLOS BLANCO, M.D., PH.D.
COLUMBIA GAMBLING DISORDERS CLINIC,
NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY,
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

2. Acknowledgments
 NIH grants DA019606, DA023200, MH082773
 New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance
Abuse Services (OASAS)
 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
 New York State Psychiatric Institute

3. CNS Spectrums March 2009; 14(3) :132-142

4. The present study…
 Is the first national study to focus on racial/ ethnic
differences in gambling disorders
 Investigates the prevalence and conditional
prevalence of gambling disorders
 Compares sociodemographic and clinical
characteristics among disordered gamblers from
racial/ethnic groups

5. METHODS

6. 2001-2002 NESARC Sample
 Nationally representative sample of 43,093
individuals
 18+ years old
 Residing in the continental US, district of Columbia,
Alaska and Hawaii
 Non-institutionalized civilians
 Face-to-face interviews

7. NESARC Assessment
 NIAAA Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated
Disabilities Interview Schedule –DSM-IV version
(AUADIS-IV)
 Symptom questions that operazionalized DSM-IV
criteria for :
 Nicotine dependence
 Alcohol and drug abuse and dependence
 Mood, anxiety and personality disorders
 Number of medical conditions, Number of stressful
life events (SRRS) and Disability score (SF-12V2)

8. Disordered gambling in the NESARC
 All respondents who had gambled 5 or more times in
at least 1 year of their life (N=11,153) were asked
about the symptoms of DSM-IV pathological
gambling
 Disordered gamblers: Individuals meeting at least 3
criteria for DSM-IV pathological gambling (PG)
 Gambling venues, course and treatment measures
assessed only among pathological gamblers

9. Disordered Gambling (N=567)

10. RESULTS

11. Prevalence and Conditional prevalence of
Disordered gambling
Significantly different from Non-Hispanic Whites

12. Prevalence and Conditional prevalence of
Pathological gambling
Significantly different from Non-Hispanic Whites

13. Sociodemographic characteristics
Note: Only significant differences from non-Hispanic Whites are shown

14. Psychopathology rates and disability
Note: Only significant differences from non-Hispanic Whites are shown

15. PG criteria, course and venues of gambling
preferred
 Mean number of DSM-IV PG criteria: 6.4
 Mean age of PG onset: 31 years old
 Mean age of PG remission: 37 years old
 36.7% did not meet criteria for PG in the last year
 71% are engaged in casino gambling and 53% in non-
casino gambling
No differences across racial/ethnic groups were found
Note: Assessed only among pathological gamblers (N=195)

16. Treatment seeking rates
No differences across racial/ethnic groups were found
Note: Assessed only among pathological gamblers (N=195)

17. LIMITATIONS &
CONCLUSIONS

18. Limitations
 Assessment of pathological and disordered gambling
were based on self-report
 NESARC does not provide information on
adolescents
 Native Americans and Asians were combined into
one group
 Analyses of gambling correlates were conducted only
among pathological gamblers

19. Conclusions
 Prevalence of disordered gambling differs across
racial/ethnic groups
 Blacks and Hispanics face increased socioeconomic
adversity than non-Hispanic Whites
 Despite social adversity, Black and Hispanics are less
likely to present substance use disorders.
 Similarities in symptom patterns, course and
treatment seeking rates suggest no racial or cultural
impact on the presentation of pathological gambling

20. Funding and Support
 NESARC was sponsored and conducted by NIAAA
and supported by NIDA
 This research was also supported by NIH and AFSP
grants and the NYSPI