Identifying High-Risk Groups for Pathological Gambling: Evaluation of Sociodemographic Markers for Future Predictive Modeling

Authors

  • Filip Kapor Fifth-year Medical Student. University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Andjela Lazic Fifth-year Medical Student. University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Igor Kelecevic MD. University of Novi Sad, University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Faculty of Medicine, Novi Sad, Serbia

Keywords:

Gambling disorder, Suicide, Recurrence, Family Relations, Socioeconomic Factors

Abstract

Background: Gambling disorder is a complex behavioral addiction associated with significant psychological, social, and economic consequences. Although recognized as an addictive disorder in contemporary classifications, data on hospitalized patients, particularly in Balkan populations, remain limited. This study investigated sociodemographic factors associated with chronicity, relapse, and suicidality among hospitalized patients with gambling disorder.

Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at the Clinic for Psychiatry, University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Serbia. Records of patients treated between January 2020 and December 2025 with gambling disorder were reviewed. After exclusion of duplicate and incomplete records, 101 patients were included. Sociodemographic characteristics, gambling profile, financial debt, suicidality, and living arrangements were analyzed. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: The sample was predominantly male (96.0%), with a mean age of 36.8 ± 10.1 years. Financial debt was present in 62.4%, while suicidal ideation or suicide attempts were recorded in 41.6%. Sports betting was the most common form of gambling (48%). Gambling-related problems lasted 3–10 years in 37.6% of patients, and more than 10 years in 21.8%. Age positively correlated with duration of gambling problems (rho = 0.29, p = 0.01). Relapse occurred exclusively among patients living with others (p = 0.04), while suicide attempts occurred exclusively among patients with financial debt (p = 0.02; OR ≈ 14.3).

Conclusion: Gambling disorder represents a substantial psychiatric and public health burden. Financial debt and adverse social circumstances were strongly associated with suicidality and relapse, highlighting the need for earlier identification and targeted interventions.

References

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Published

2026-08-19

How to Cite

Kapor, F., Lazic, A., & Kelecevic, I. (2026). Identifying High-Risk Groups for Pathological Gambling: Evaluation of Sociodemographic Markers for Future Predictive Modeling. International Journal of Medical Students. Retrieved from https://ijms.pitt.edu/IJMS/article/view/4821

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Forthcoming

Section

Abstracts of the WCMSR

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Copyright (c) 2026 Filip Kapor, Andjela Lazic, Igor Kelecevic

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