Mumcu Ece, Kılıç Osman Hasan Tahsin, Başer Aysel
Department of Addiction Toxicology, Institute of Drug Abuse, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir Democracy University, Izmir, Turkey.
PeerJ. 2025 Apr 28;13:e19314. doi: 10.7717/peerj.19314. eCollection 2025.
There is a continuum between gambling and investing behaviors, with speculative investment instruments positioned in the middle. Cryptocurrencies, being significantly more volatile than traditional investment tools, have increasingly been linked to gambling disorder (GD). This study aims to examine the relationship between cryptocurrency trading behavior and GD, high-risk substance use, high-risk alcohol use, and tobacco dependence among healthcare professionals in Türkiye.
A total of 192 healthcare professionals were assessed using the Problematic Cryptocurrency Trading Scale (PCTS), Gambling Disorder Screening Test (GDST), and the Addiction Profile Index Risk Screening Form (APIRS) (Alcohol and Drug Scales). Categorical data comparisons between two independent groups were conducted using Chi-square or Fisher's Exact tests. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to examine relationships between PCTS scores and APIRS/GDST scores. Additionally, linear regression models assessed the predictive relationships between PCTS scores and APIRS/GDST scores.
Among the participants, 25.5% reported engaging in cryptocurrency trading, 41.7% had tobacco dependence, 15.1% reported high-risk alcohol use, 5.7% had high-risk substance use, and 8.9% met the criteria for GD. Cryptocurrency traders demonstrated higher rates of substance use ( = 0.033), tobacco dependence ( < 0.001), and GD ( = 0.043). Additionally, the severity of problematic cryptocurrency trading behavior was positively correlated with the severity of substance use ( = 0.172, = 0.017) and GD ( = 0.455, < 0.001).
The findings indicate a significant relationship between cryptocurrency trading behavior and addiction. Further research with clinical interviews and larger sample sizes is required to validate these findings. The high rates of alcohol, substance, tobacco, and gambling addictions observed among healthcare professionals underscore the need for targeted preventive measures and interventions in this population.
赌博行为和投资行为之间存在连续性，投机性投资工具处于两者之间。加密货币的波动性明显高于传统投资工具，越来越多地与赌博障碍（GD）联系在一起。本研究旨在探讨土耳其医疗专业人员的加密货币交易行为与GD、高风险物质使用、高风险酒精使用和烟草依赖之间的关系。
使用有问题的加密货币交易量表（PCTS）、赌博障碍筛查测试（GDST）和成瘾概况指数风险筛查表（APIRS）（酒精和药物量表）对总共192名医疗专业人员进行评估。使用卡方检验或费舍尔精确检验对两个独立组之间的分类数据进行比较。使用斯皮尔曼相关系数来检验PCTS分数与APIRS/GDST分数之间的关系。此外，线性回归模型评估了PCTS分数与APIRS/GDST分数之间的预测关系。
在参与者中，25.5%的人报告参与了加密货币交易，41.7%的人有烟草依赖，15.1%的人报告有高风险酒精使用，5.7%的人有高风险物质使用，8.9%的人符合GD标准。加密货币交易者表现出更高的物质使用发生率（P = 0.033）、烟草依赖发生率（P < 0.001）和GD发生率（P = 0.043）。此外，有问题的加密货币交易行为的严重程度与物质使用的严重程度呈正相关（P = 0.172，P = 0.017）和GD呈正相关（P = 0.455，P < 0.001）。
研究结果表明加密货币交易行为与成瘾之间存在显著关系。需要通过临床访谈和更大样本量进行进一步研究以验证这些发现。在医疗专业人员中观察到的高酒精、物质、烟草和赌博成瘾率凸显了对这一人群采取针对性预防措施和干预措施的必要性。
