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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Sep 25;67(1):e56.
doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1777.

Prevalence of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders in problem gambling: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Olivier Corbeil  1   2   3 , Laurent Béchard  1   2   3 , Élizabeth Anderson  3   4 , Maxime Huot-Lavoie  3   5 , Charles Desmeules  3   5 , Lauryann Bachand  4 , Sébastien Brodeur  2   3   5   6 , Pierre-Hugues Carmichael  7 , Christian Jacques  4   8 , Marco Solmi  9   10   11   12 , Michel Dorval  1   13 , Isabelle Giroux  4   8 , Marc-André Roy  2   3   5 , Marie-France Demers  1   2   3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Prevalence of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders in problem gambling: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Olivier Corbeil et al. Eur Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: High rates of psychiatric comorbidities have been found in people with problem gambling (PBG), including substance use, anxiety, and mood disorders. Psychotic disorders have received less attention, although this comorbidity is expected to have a significant impact on the course, consequences, and treatment of PBG. This review aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychotic disorders in PBG.

Methods: Medline (Ovid), EMBASE, PsycINFO (Ovid), CINAHL, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and ProQuest were searched on November 1, 2023, without language restrictions. Studies involving people with PBG and reporting the prevalence of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist for systematic reviews of prevalence data. The pooled prevalence of psychotic disorders was calculated using a random effects generalized linear mixed model and presented with forest plots.

Results: Of 1,271 records screened, 22 studies (n = 19,131) were included. The overall prevalence of psychotic disorders was 4.9% (95% CI, 3.6-6.5%, I2 = 88%). A lower prevalence was found in surveyed/recruited populations, compared with treatment-seeking individuals and register-based studies. No differences were found for factors such as treatment setting (inpatient/outpatient), diagnoses of psychotic disorders (schizophrenia only/other psychotic disorders), and assessment time frame (current/lifetime). The majority of included studies had a moderate risk of bias.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the relevance of screening problem gamblers for schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, as well as any other comorbid mental health conditions, given the significant impact such comorbidities can have on the recovery process.

Keywords: gambling; meta-analysis; prevalence; psychosis; schizophrenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

O.C. is currently receiving a fellowship award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (#202210MFE-491926-64860). L.Béchard is currently receiving a doctoral training scholarship from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (#331332). M.S. has received honoraria/has been a consultant for AbbVie, Angelini, Lundbeck, Otsuka. M.A.R. has received unrestricted grants from Mylan Canada and Otsuka-Lundbeck Alliance Canada. He has served on advisory boards for AbbVie, Janssen, and Otsuka-Lundbeck Alliance. He has also been a lecturer for AbbVie and Janssen Canada. M.F.D. reports consulting fees from AbbVie. She has also served on advisory boards and been a lecturer for AbbVie and Otsuka-Lundbeck Alliance Canada. All other authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow chart of reviewed articles. Adapted from Page et al. [33].
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Box plot of the prevalence of any psychotic disorders in people with problem gambling.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Forest plot of the pooled estimated prevalence of any psychotic disorders in people with problem gambling according to type of recruitment. Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval. Note: The overall pooled estimate is represented by the vertical dashed line.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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