Kavla, Yasin and Demirgül, Süleyman and Bozdemir, Tugba and Demircan, Dilara and Yamanel-Özsoy, Büsra and Durmuş, Hasan and Dinçer, Eren Murat and Umut, Gökhan and Demetrovics, Zsolt and Potenza, Marc N. and Dinç, Mehmet (2026) A comparative analysis of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of gambling disorder by sex among treatment-seeking individuals: A national sample from Türkiye. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL ADDICTIONS, 15 (2). pp. 886-899. ISSN 2062-5871
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Abstract
Background and Aims Gambling disorder (GD) is a growing public health concern, with emerging evidence suggesting potential sex differences in clinical presentation, gambling preferences, and treatment-seeking patterns. Furthermore, non-Western countries/cultures and women's clinical populations are understudied. Therefore, this study aimed to examine sex-related sociodemographic characteristics, gambling behaviors, and psychiatric symptoms among treatment-seeking individuals with GD in Türkiye. Methods Data from 12,505 treatment-seeking individuals who registered for Green Crescent Counselling Center between 2021 and 2024 were analyzed. A total of 330 women participants who met the inclusion criteria were identified and compared with a sample of 990 men participants (matched on age, marital status, and education). Sociodemographic and clinical features, gambling preferences, and psychiatric symptoms were compared between groups. Results A notable increase in the number and proportion of women seeking-treatment for GD was observed between 2021 and 2024. Women reported beginning gambling at a later age and engaging in it for a shorter duration compared to men. They showed a distinct gambling pattern, with a strong preference for online casino games, whereas men primarily engaged in sports betting. Women also exhibited higher rates of co-occurring psychiatric concerns, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, along with greater impulsivity. Discussion and Conclusions Our findings highlight meaningful sex-related differences in the clinical presentation and gambling behaviors of treatment-seeking individuals with GD. The sizable representation of women suggests the need for sex-sensitive prevention and intervention strategies. Tailored approaches that address co-occurring psychiatric concerns, gambling preferences, and speculative motivations, may enhance treatment outcomes and inform future service provision in the treatment of GD, particularly for women.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Additional Information: | Department of Psychiatry, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary Trauma Intervention and Research Center/ Global and Regional Studies Center, Psychology Department, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey Green Crescent Counselling Center, Turkey Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey Department of Psychology, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey İstanbul Basaksehir Cam Sakura City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Flinders University, College of Human Sciences and Culture, Bedford Park, SA, Australia Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, United States Department of Psychology, Faculty of Economic Administrative and Social Sciences, Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep, Turkey Export Date: 18 June 2026; Cited By: 0; Correspondence Address: Y. Kavla; Department of Psychiatry, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey; email: yasin.kavla@iuc.edu.tr; S.A. Demirgül; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; email: suleyman.demirgul@ppk.elte.hu |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | addictive behaviors, gambling, impulsive behaviors, gender and sex differences, compulsive behavior, risk-taking, behavioral addiction |
| Subjects: | R Medicine / orvostudomány > RC Internal medicine / belgyógyászat > RC554 Personality disorders. Behavior problems / személyiségzavarok, viselkedési problémák |
| SWORD Depositor: | MTMT SWORD |
| Depositing User: | MTMT SWORD |
| Date Deposited: | 31 Jul 2026 07:45 |
| Last Modified: | 31 Jul 2026 07:45 |
| URI: | https://real.mtak.hu/id/eprint/243561 |
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