The reification of the "pathological" gambler: an analysis of gambling treatment and the application of the medical model to problem gambling.

Problem: Is the medical model used to reify "pathological" gambling?

Methods: A qualitative field study of 12 subjects with the diagnosis "pathological" gambler.

Findings: None of the 12 subjects being treated for "pathological" gambling fit neatly in the category of "pathological" gambler. An examination of the treatment center revealed institutional grounds for the use of this diagnosis.

A bi-directional theory of addiction: examining coping and the factors related to substance relapse.

The results from this study supported a bi-directional theory of addiction for a sample of Black, inner-city, working-class, male substance abusers. Using structural equations modeling, at 6 months posttreatment we found that (a) the reciprocal effect emotional and psychological distress and substance relapse had on one another existed within the context of their bi-directional relationship with social instability, and (b) effective coping skills and resources moderated the negative effects that emotional and psychological distress, social structure, and substance relapse had on one another. These findings led us to three suggestions treatment professionals can use to counteract recidivism.

Homelessness, negative affect, and coping among veterans with gambling problems who misused substances.

Compared with other populations with addictions, pathological gamblers have higher levels of negative affect and poor coping. A total of 154 formerly homeless veterans who misused substances were assessed six months after treatment to determine whether those with a gambling problem (N = 22) had more negative affect and poorer coping than those without a gambling problem and whether they were more likely to have unstable housing and employment. The veterans with a gambling problem had significantly higher levels of negative affect and poorer coping but did not differ from the other veterans in housing and employment stability.