Characteristics of Pathological Gamblers Identified Among Patients on a Psychiatric Admissions Service

A total of 105 patients admitted to a psychiatric admissions service for adults were screened for pathological gambling using the South Oaks Gambling Screen, a valid, reliable instrument for identification of this disorder. Seven of the 105 patients were identified as pathological gamblers, and ten were children of problem gamblers, rates that are higher than those for the general population. Pathological gamblers identified in this study had a broad range of primary diagnoses, including schizoaffective disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, major depression, and organic personality disorder. A high rate of pathological gambling (11 percent) was found among patients with a secondary diagnosis of psychoactive substance use disorders.