Chan Elda Mei Lo, Dowling Nicki A, Jackson Alun C, Shek Daniel Tan-Lei
Integrated Centre on Addiction Prevention and Treatment, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Hong Kong SAR, China.
School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia ; Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Asian J Gambl Issues Public Health. 2016;6(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s40405-016-0009-9. Epub 2016 Mar 31.
Despite substantial evidence that problem gambling is associated with a wide range of family difficulties, limited effort has been devoted to studying the negative impacts on family members as a result of problem gambling and how they cope and function under the impacts of problem gambling in Chinese communities. Among the very few Chinese-specific gambling-related family impact studies, none have examined how gambling-related family coping responses are related to gambling-related family impacts. Based on a sample of treatment-seeking Chinese family members of problem gamblers, this study aimed to explore: (1) the demographic characteristics and health and psychological well-being of the family members; (2) the gambling-related family member impacts (active disturbance, worrying behavior); (3) the family coping strategies (engaged, tolerant-inactive and withdrawal coping); (4) the relationship between gambling-related family member impacts, psychological distress and family coping strategies. It was hypothesized that positive significant relationships would be found between family member impacts, psychological distress and family coping strategies. From March 2011 to February 2012, a total of 103 family members of problem gamblers who sought help from Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Even Centre in Hong Kong were interviewed. Results showed that a majority of family members were partners or ex-partners of the gambler with low or no income. A large proportion of participants reported moderate to high psychological distress (72.6 %), poor to fair general health (60.2 %), and poor to neither good nor bad quality of life (61.1 %). Family member impacts were positively significantly correlated to all family coping strategies and psychological distress. Tolerant-inactive coping had the strongest relationships with family member impacts and psychological distress. Strong relationships between family member impacts and psychological distress were also found. The results provide preliminary support for aspects of the stress-strain-coping-support model in the Chinese culture. It is suggested that family member-specific treatment groups targeting family coping are required to alleviate the level of negative impacts of gambling disorder on family members.
尽管有大量证据表明问题赌博与一系列家庭困难相关，但在中国社区，针对问题赌博对家庭成员的负面影响以及他们在问题赌博影响下如何应对和发挥功能的研究却很少。在极少数针对中国的赌博相关家庭影响研究中，没有一项研究考察过与赌博相关的家庭应对反应与赌博相关的家庭影响之间的关系。基于寻求治疗的问题赌徒的中国家庭成员样本，本研究旨在探讨：(1)家庭成员的人口统计学特征、健康状况和心理健康状况；(2)与赌博相关的家庭成员影响（主动干扰、担忧行为）；(3)家庭应对策略（参与、容忍 - 消极和回避应对）；(4)与赌博相关的家庭成员影响、心理困扰和家庭应对策略之间的关系。研究假设在家庭成员影响、心理困扰和家庭应对策略之间会发现显著的正相关关系。2011年3月至2012年2月，对103名在香港东华三院赛马会防止自杀中心寻求帮助的问题赌徒家庭成员进行了访谈。结果显示，大多数家庭成员是赌徒的伴侣或前伴侣，收入低或无收入。很大一部分参与者报告有中度到高度的心理困扰（72.6%）、一般健康状况差到中等（60.2%）以及生活质量差到一般（61.1%）。家庭成员影响与所有家庭应对策略和心理困扰呈显著正相关。容忍 - 消极应对与家庭成员影响和心理困扰的关系最为密切。在家庭成员影响和心理困扰之间也发现了很强的关系。研究结果为压力 - 应变 - 应对 - 支持模型在中国文化中的某些方面提供了初步支持。建议针对家庭应对的家庭成员特定治疗组，以减轻赌博障碍对家庭成员的负面影响程度。
