Children who suffer physical abuse or violence at home are at a greater risk of having gambling addictions in their adult life, suggests a study.
A recent research suggested that children with gambling addiction are more likely to suffer injuries, marital discord, financial troubles and criminal tendencies as adults.
The researchers surveyed a total of 3,000 men on several life factors and noted that nearly 25% of those who had probably gambling disorders had witnessed domestic violence at some point during their childhood. About 10% admitted experiencing physical violence, and 7% reported suffering a life-endangering injury in their young years.
Nearly 23% of men were labelled as problem gamblers, i.e, showing a less detrimental relationship with gambling than their pathological counterparts. This group also admitted witnessing violence at home as children. It was suggested that gambling addiction could be indicative of psychosocial and behavioural issues in some people.
The researchers further added that facing life stressors such as unemployment or homelessness in adulthood does not result in extreme psychological responses, indicating that associations with maltreatment or trauma at an early age might make children more prone to developing gambling problems later in life.
These findings underscore the importance of including routine screening for traumatic life events or substance abuse in the treatment programs for gambling disorders.
Source: Addictive Behaviours Journal