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. 2023 Jul 12:14:1018098.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1018098. eCollection 2023.

What explains the link between romantic conflict with gambling problems? Testing a serial mediational model

Amanda E F Hagen  1 , Raquel Nogueira-Arjona  2 , Simon B Sherry  1 , Lindsey M Rodriguez  3 , Igor Yakovenko  1   4 , Sherry H Stewart  1   4
Affiliations

What explains the link between romantic conflict with gambling problems? Testing a serial mediational model

Amanda E F Hagen et al. Front Psychol. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Introduction: While individuals have many motives to gamble, one particularly risky motive for gambling is to cope with negative affect. Conflict with one's romantic partner is a strong predictor of negative affect, which may elicit coping motives for gambling and, in turn, gambling-related problems. Support for this mediational model was demonstrated in relation to drinking-related problems. We extended this model to gambling.

Method: Using a cross-sectional design, we examined links between romantic conflict (Partner-Specific Rejecting Behaviors Scale), negative affect (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21), coping gambling motives (Gambling Motives Questionnaire, coping subscale), and gambling-related problems [Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI)] in 206 regular gamblers (64% men; mean age = 44.7 years; mean PGSI = 8.7) who were in a romantic relationship and recruited through Qualtrics Panels in July 2021.

Results: Results supported our hypothesis that the association between romantic conflict and gambling-related problems would be sequentially mediated through negative affect and coping gambling motives, β = 0.38, 95% CI [0.27, 0.39], and also showed a strong single mediation pathway through negative affect alone, β = 0.27, 95% CI [0.17, 0.38].

Discussion: Negative affect and coping gambling motives partially explain the link between romantic conflict and gambling-related problems. Interventions should target both negative affect and coping gambling motives in response to romantic conflict to reduce gambling-related problems in partnered gamblers.

Keywords: coping motives; gambling; negative affect; problem gambling; romantic conflict.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Serial mediaton model. Path values indicate standardized coefficients (β). p < 0.01**, p < 0.001***.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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