Problematic alcohol use and problem gambling: Associations to structural and functional aspects of social ties in a Finnish population sample

Abstract

AIMS-This study aims to explore associations between structural and functional aspects of social networks and relationships (here labelled social ties) among individuals exhibiting problematic alcohol use and problem gambling, respectively. MATERIAL & METHODS-Data was collected in the 2011 Western Finland Mental Health Survey, a postal questionnaire survey applying a stratified random sampling approach. The survey response rate was 46.2% (n = 4624, age range 15-80 years). Problem behaviours were assessed using the CAGE and Lie/Bet tools. Logistic regression analyses were performed, with problematic alcohol use and problem gambling as dependent variables. Demographic variables, structural social tie factors (marital status, frequency of social contacts, engagement in association activities) and functional social tie factors (experienced loneliness, social support, neighbourhood trust, general trust) constituted explanatory variables. RESULTS-In this representative population sample, only one structural social tie variable, marital status, proved to be significantly associated with one of the outcomes (problematic alcohol use). Identical functional social tie variables were associated with both problematic alcohol use and problem gambling: individuals exhibiting the problem behaviours experienced higher levels of experienced loneliness and low levels of neighbourhood trust. Identified interaction effects with demographic factors highlight the complexity of links. CONCLUSIONS-Functional aspects of individual-level social ties appear to be more relevant when studying problematic alcohol use or problem gambling, similarly to other forms of mental health problems. The role of social ties as preventive or risk factors for problem behaviour development, as a part of problem behaviour maintenance or as a cessation and a recovery resource should be further explored, considering also interactions with demographic variables.

A systematic review of psychosocial risks for gambling and problem gambling in the Nordic countries

“…In one Finnish population study (Castrén et al, 2013) loneliness was associated with problem gambling in regression analysis, interestingly however it was not associated with more severe gambling-related problems (such as gambling disorder). In another cross-sectional Finnish study looking at a population sample (Nordmyr et al, 2016), loneliness was associated with problem gambling. Sirola et al (2019) found that excessive gambling was higher among young Finns who reported higher levels of loneliness, with loneliness also positively moderating the association between excessive gambling and daily online gambling community participation in one of the included study samples.…”

“…In another study (Lyk-Jensen, 2010), respondents' retrospective views on their childhood and adolescence experiences related to feeling solitary and left out and feeling understood did not differentiate at-risk gamblers from no-risk gamblers (persons experiencing problem gambling were not included in the study). Further, one cross-sectional study (Nordmyr et al, 2016) of a Finnish population sample showed a positive association between low levels of neighbourhood trust and problem gambling, but no risk associated with general trust.…”

Loneliness and Illicit Opioid Use Among Methadone Maintenance Treatment Patients

“…Loneliness in adult samples is associated with using alcohol and tobacco (Cacioppo et al, 2002;Greene et al, 2018;Shankur, McMunn, Banks, & Steptoe, 2011;Stanton, Moadel, Kim, Weinberger, & Shuter, 2015), greater use of sedatives and other psychotropic drugs (Boehlen et al, 2015;Taipale et al, 2011), and problematic drinking patterns (Bonin et al, 2000;Nordmyr, Forsman, & Österman, 2016;Stickley et al, 2013). Feeling lonely also appears to place people with many types of psychopathology at risk for substance misuse.…”

Substance Use and Gambling Patterns Among Adolescents: Differences According to Gender and Impulsivity

“…This finding is consistent with a recent research highlighting the association between cannabis, drunkenness episodes and problem gambling (Buja et al 2017), which suggests that female 'broad users' are a heterogeneous group which needs further research. Some potential common factors have been reported that account for a broad engagement in addictive behaviors such as higher levels of experienced loneliness (Nordmyr et al 2016) and poor emotional regulation (Estevez et al 2017). Further, differences in gambling severity may be explained by differences in the structural characteristics (e.g., event and bet frequency, event duration, inplay betting and payout interval) of the activities engaged in (Goodie 2015;Griffiths and Auer 2012).…”