Clarifying gambling subtypes: the revised pathways model of problem gambling

Abstract

Background and aims: The pathways model is a highly cited etiological model of problem gambling. In the past two decades, a number of studies have found support for the model's utility in classifying gambling subtypes. The aims of this paper were to refine empirically the model subtypes and to revise and update the model based on those findings.

Design and measurement: Observational study using data collected from treatment-seeking problem gamblers using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and the Gambling Pathways Questionnaire (GPQ).

Setting: Treatment clinics in Canada, Australia and the United States.

Participants: A convenience sample of 1168 treatment-seeking problem gamblers, aged 18 years or older.

Findings: Empirically validated risk factors were analyzed using latent class analyses, identifying a three-class solution as the best-fitting model. Those in the largest class (class 1: 44.3%, n = 517) reported the lowest levels of all etiological risk factors. Participants in class 2 (39.5%, n = 461) reported the highest rates of anxiety and depression, both before and after gambling became a problem, as well as childhood maltreatment, and a high level of gambling for stress-coping. Those in class 3 (16.3%, n = 190) reported high levels of impulsivity; risk-taking, including sexual risk-taking; antisocial traits; and coping to provide meaning in life and to alleviate stress.

Conclusions: The revised pathways model of problem gambling includes three classes of gamblers similar to the three subtypes in the original pathways model, but class 3 in the revised pathways model is distinct from class 2, showing higher levels of risk-taking and antisocial traits and gambling motivated by a desire for meaning/purpose and/or to alleviate stress. Class 2 in the revised pathways model demonstrates high levels of childhood maltreatment as well as gambling for stress-coping.

Keywords: Comorbidity; etiology; gambling; gambling assessment; gambling disorder; gambling treatment; problem gambling; subtypes.