Investigating Veterans’ Pre-, Peri-, and Post-Deployment Experiences as Potential Risk Factors for Problem Gambling

A significant research gap exists regarding the relationships of veterans’ life and service experiences to problematic gambling. The present study explored pre-, peri-, and post-deployment factors associated with problem gambling in veterans. 738 Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn completed questionnaires via structured telephone interview.

Quantitative 

• 2% of veterans indicated at-risk or probable pathological gambling (ARPG) post-deployment (two or more DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling).
• 95% rate of veterans have within the previous 12 months

Qualitative

• Problem gambling among veterans is related to service experiences, and particularly to life experiences post-deployment.
• More severe gambling was more common in males than females.
• Stressful life events and social support were related to at-risk or probable pathological gambling (ARPG).
• stressful post-deployment life events, such as violent encounters, injury, legal and financial issues, natural disasters, and significant relationship changes, were associated with ARPG.

Risk Factors

• Male
• Higher frequencies of post-traumatic stress disorder
• Substance dependence,
• Traumatic brain injury,
• Panic disorder,
• Depression, and
• Lower levels of social support.

Protective Factors

• Higher levels of social support.
• Interventions related to families.
• Community involvement.
• Social perceptions of veterans and military service.
• Society providing outlets for talking about deployment experiences.
• Assistance with matters of daily living and other hardships.
• Emotional support.

Conclusions

• Problem gambling among veterans is related to service experiences, and particularly to life experiences post-deployment.

Recommendations

Research

• Future research should further investigate how gambling problems develop in veteran populations and how improved identification and treatment of gambling disorder may be implemented and evaluated in returning veterans.

Treatment

• Increased emphasis on systemic screening for gambling problems and further awareness by mental health professionals who serve veterans appear warranted.
• Clinicians should increase awareness of frequent co-morbidity between gambling disorder with other psychiatric conditions.

Evaluation and dissemination of programmatic strategies targeting gambling problems in the context of the unique challenges faced by veterans are warranted.