The prevalence of comorbid personality disorders in treatment-seeking problem gamblers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Nicki Dowling, Sean Cowlishaw, Alun Jackson, Stephanie Merkouris, Kate Francies, Darren Christensen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

76 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to systematically review and meta-analyze the prevalence of comorbid personality disorders among treatment-seeking problem gamblers. Almost one half (47.9%) of problem gamblers displayed comorbid personality disorders. They were most likely to display Cluster B disorders (17.6%), with smaller proportions reporting Cluster C disorders (12.6%) and Cluster A disorders (6.1%). The most prevalent personality disorders were narcissistic (16.6%), antisocial (14.0%), avoidant (13.4%), obsessive-compulsive (13.4%), and borderline (13.1%) personality disorders. Sensitivity analyses suggested that these prevalence estimates were robust to the inclusion of clinical trials and self-selected samples. Although there was significant variability in reported rates, subgroup analyses revealed no significant differences in estimates of antisocial personality disorder according to problem gambling severity, measure of comorbidity employed, and study jurisdiction. The findings highlight the need for gambling treatment services to conduct routine screening and assessment of co-occurring personality disorders and to provide treatment approaches that adequately address these comorbid conditions.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)735-754
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Personality Disorders
Volume29
Issue number6
Early online date23 Sept 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2015

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