Abait Patricia E, Folino Jorge O
Vertex. 2013 Mar-Apr;24(108):85-91.
The evolution of Pathological Gambling has some important landmarks such as the age of onset, time elapse between onset and the perception of gambling consequences and their severity. These events encourage the exploration of the preventive potential of a helpline service for gamblers, thus the contact with this service might be the beginning of opportune intervention.
To describe and to compare the course and complications due to gambling reported by two Argentineans gambler population with access to different services: a sample of participants of a self-help group; and a sample of helpline clients.
A total of 268 gamblers were surveyed using a structured interview that included the Brief Questionnaire of Pathological Gambling. The sample was composed by 174 subjects attending self-help groups (Anonymous Gamblers); and 94 consecutive callers to a gambling helpline in Argentina.
76% of Anonymous Gamblers and 33% of helpline clients reported having committed some illegal behaviour (Odds Ratio = 6.4; 95% IC 3.6; 11.6). The disorder and the negative consequences were more severe in the Anonymous Gamblers group. Mean age of onset of gambling for helpline clients was 35 years and for Anonymous Gamblers 28. The mean time elapsed to perceiving economic problems was 5 years for helpline clients and 7 for Anonymous Gamblers. The findings support that helpline services promote the seek for help in those gamblers that have not yet reached the summit of the disorder.
病理性赌博的演变有一些重要标志，如发病年龄、发病与感知赌博后果及其严重程度之间的时间间隔。这些情况促使人们探索为赌徒提供求助热线服务的预防潜力，因此与该服务的接触可能是适时干预的开端。
描述并比较两组有不同服务途径的阿根廷赌徒群体所报告的赌博过程及并发症：一个自助小组的参与者样本；以及求助热线客户样本。
使用包含病理性赌博简短问卷的结构化访谈对总共268名赌徒进行了调查。样本由174名参加自助小组（匿名赌徒）的受试者和94名阿根廷赌博求助热线的连续来电者组成。
76%的匿名赌徒和33%的求助热线客户报告曾有过一些违法行为（优势比=6.4；95%置信区间3.6；11.6）。匿名赌徒组的病症及负面后果更为严重。求助热线客户的赌博平均发病年龄为35岁，匿名赌徒为28岁。求助热线客户感知到经济问题的平均时间为5年，匿名赌徒为7年。研究结果支持求助热线服务促使尚未达到病症顶峰的赌徒寻求帮助。
