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Article: A psychological autopsy study of pathological gamblers who died by suicide

TitleA psychological autopsy study of pathological gamblers who died by suicide
Authors
KeywordsHong Kong
Indebtedness
Pathological gambling
Psychological autopsy study
Suicide
Issue Date2010
PublisherElsevier BV. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jad
Citation
Journal Of Affective Disorders, 2010, v. 120 n. 1-3, p. 213-216 How to Cite?
AbstractBackground: Pathological gambling is associated with suicidal ideation and attempt. There is no known report on pathological gambling preceding suicide. By examining a series of 17 suicide cases with evidence of pathological gambling prior to death, we sought to generate hypotheses for further study of this under-researched but rapidly-increasing worldwide public health problem. Method: Psychological autopsy interviews using a semi-structured format were conducted with proxy respondents for suicide and control subjects aged 15-59 years in Hong Kong SAR, China. Results: Of the 150 suicides and 150 controls examined, 17 suicides (11.3%) and one control case (0.6%) met criteria for the diagnosis of pathological gambling at the time of death or interview. All 17 suicide cases with pathological gambling had unmanageable debt at the time of death. Fourteen cases (82.4%) had other associated psychiatric disorders, most often major depressive disorders (n = 10, 58.9%) and substance-use disorders (n = 3, 17.6%). None had ever received psychiatric treatment. Limitations: Descriptive, retrospective case series with a small sample size. Conclusions: Along with unmanageable debt, a high proportion of the suicide cases with pathological gambling also experienced other psychiatric illnesses, most often depression, at the time of death. None sought treatment for their addictive behavior or psychiatric illness prior to death. Pathological gambling is a modifiable risk factor for suicide for which means to enhance case identification and engagement in treatment are urgently needed. Clinicians treating depression should explore the presence of pathological gambling behavior or unmanageable debts among their patients. Addressing pathological gambling should be one important component of a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy especially in countries where gambling activities are legalized and expanding. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/129547
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 4.9
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 2.082
ISI Accession Number ID
Funding AgencyGrant Number
Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust
NIMHP20 MH 071897
Funding Information:

The study was supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (which underwrote this research study via the Chief Executive's Community Project List 2002). The publication of this article was partly supported by the NIMH (P20 MH 071897).

References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorWong, PWCen_HK
dc.contributor.authorChan, WSCen_HK
dc.contributor.authorConwell, Yen_HK
dc.contributor.authorConner, KRen_HK
dc.contributor.authorYip, PSFen_HK
dc.date.accessioned2010-12-23T08:38:53Z-
dc.date.available2010-12-23T08:38:53Z-
dc.date.issued2010en_HK
dc.identifier.citationJournal Of Affective Disorders, 2010, v. 120 n. 1-3, p. 213-216en_HK
dc.identifier.issn0165-0327en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/129547-
dc.description.abstractBackground: Pathological gambling is associated with suicidal ideation and attempt. There is no known report on pathological gambling preceding suicide. By examining a series of 17 suicide cases with evidence of pathological gambling prior to death, we sought to generate hypotheses for further study of this under-researched but rapidly-increasing worldwide public health problem. Method: Psychological autopsy interviews using a semi-structured format were conducted with proxy respondents for suicide and control subjects aged 15-59 years in Hong Kong SAR, China. Results: Of the 150 suicides and 150 controls examined, 17 suicides (11.3%) and one control case (0.6%) met criteria for the diagnosis of pathological gambling at the time of death or interview. All 17 suicide cases with pathological gambling had unmanageable debt at the time of death. Fourteen cases (82.4%) had other associated psychiatric disorders, most often major depressive disorders (n = 10, 58.9%) and substance-use disorders (n = 3, 17.6%). None had ever received psychiatric treatment. Limitations: Descriptive, retrospective case series with a small sample size. Conclusions: Along with unmanageable debt, a high proportion of the suicide cases with pathological gambling also experienced other psychiatric illnesses, most often depression, at the time of death. None sought treatment for their addictive behavior or psychiatric illness prior to death. Pathological gambling is a modifiable risk factor for suicide for which means to enhance case identification and engagement in treatment are urgently needed. Clinicians treating depression should explore the presence of pathological gambling behavior or unmanageable debts among their patients. Addressing pathological gambling should be one important component of a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy especially in countries where gambling activities are legalized and expanding. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.en_HK
dc.languageengen_US
dc.publisherElsevier BV. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jaden_HK
dc.relation.ispartofJournal of Affective Disordersen_HK
dc.subjectHong Kongen_HK
dc.subjectIndebtednessen_HK
dc.subjectPathological gamblingen_HK
dc.subjectPsychological autopsy studyen_HK
dc.subjectSuicideen_HK
dc.subject.meshCase-Control Studies-
dc.subject.meshGambling - psychology-
dc.subject.meshImpulse Control Disorders - diagnosis - epidemiology-
dc.subject.meshRetrospective Studies-
dc.subject.meshSuicide - statistics and numerical data-
dc.titleA psychological autopsy study of pathological gamblers who died by suicideen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.openurlhttp://library.hku.hk:4550/resserv?sid=HKU:IR&issn=0165-0327&volume=120&issue=1-3&spage=213&epage=216&date=2010&atitle=A+psychological+autopsy+study+of+pathological+gamblers+who+died+by+suicide-
dc.identifier.emailWong, PWC: paulw@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.emailYip, PSF: sfpyip@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.authorityWong, PWC=rp00591en_HK
dc.identifier.authorityYip, PSF=rp00596en_HK
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltext-
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.jad.2009.04.001en_HK
dc.identifier.pmid19395046-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-71749085476en_HK
dc.identifier.hkuros178331en_US
dc.identifier.hkuros163000-
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-71749085476&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_HK
dc.identifier.volume120en_HK
dc.identifier.issue1-3en_HK
dc.identifier.spage213en_HK
dc.identifier.epage216en_HK
dc.identifier.eissn1573-2517-
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000273907100029-
dc.publisher.placeNetherlandsen_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridWong, PWC=13607861800en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridChan, WSC=26425622500en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridConwell, Y=7006293352en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridConner, KR=7005832037en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridYip, PSF=7102503720en_HK
dc.identifier.citeulike4714565-
dc.identifier.issnl0165-0327-

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