Psychometric Validation of the Gambling Craving Scale in a Treatment-Seeking Sample

Anthony M Battaglia; Lana Vedelago; Sophie G Coelho; Christian Baumgartner; Michael P Schaub; Sherry H Stewart; James MacKillop; David C Hodgins; Jeffrey D Wardell; Roisin M O'Connor; Hyoun S Kim; Matthew T Keough

doi:10.1007/s10899-024-10306-6

Psychometric Validation of the Gambling Craving Scale in a Treatment-Seeking Sample

J Gambl Stud. 2024 May 3. doi: 10.1007/s10899-024-10306-6. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P1, Canada. battaga@yorku.ca.
² Department of Psychology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P1, Canada.
³ Swiss Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction, associated to University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁴ Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology & Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
⁵ Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁷ Insitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁹ Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.

PMID: 38700740
DOI: 10.1007/s10899-024-10306-6

Abstract

The Gambling Craving Scale (GACS) is a multifaceted measure of gambling craving. Initial validation work by Young and Wohl (2009) in university student samples showed that the GACS had a three-factor structure capturing dimensions of Desire, Anticipation, and Relief. Despite its potential clinical utility as a measure of craving, the GACS has yet to be validated in people seeking treatment for gambling problems. Accordingly, we examined the psychometric properties in a sample of people (N = 209; M_age = 37.66; 62.2% female) participating in a randomized controlled trial testing a novel online treatment for problem gambling. We predicted the GACS would have a three-factor structure. In addition, we also examined measurement invariance across sex and problem gambling risk status. Finally, we assessed concurrent validity of the factors with other measures of problem gambling severity and involvement. Exploratory structural equation modeling findings supported a three-factor structure that was invariant across the groups tested. Each of the Desire, Anticipation, and Relief subscales were significant positive predictors of problem gambling severity and symptoms, and some form of gambling behaviour. Findings show the GACS is a promising scale to assess multidimensional craving experiences among people in treatment for gambling problems.

Keywords: Craving; Exploratory structural equation modeling; Gambling craving scale; Gambling disorder; Psychometrics; Treatment-seeking.

Abstract

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