Gerle Ellen, Lundberg Tove, Hofvander Björn, Håkansson Anders
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2025 Dec;20(1):2530019. doi: 10.1080/17482631.2025.2530019. Epub 2025 Jul 8.
Gambling harm is a widespread phenomenon affecting an increasing number of individuals. Understanding the concept of self-control is central to comprehending the nature of gambling problems.
Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with ten individuals recruited through peer support associations in Sweden. The data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
Three group themes were identified: (Un)predictability and (Un)safety: The Meanings of Being in or Out of Control, Inside "the Bubble": Navigating (No) Control in and Through Gambling, and A Delicate Act: "Regaining" Control of an Uncontrolled Life. Gambling was described as part of a negative spiral in which individuals in challenging life situations attempt to create and recreate experiences of control through gambling. The more negative consequences gambling had on everyday life and relationships, the greater the need to retreat into a protective "bubble."
Being in and out of control are universal human experiences through which we can better understand the maintenance of severe gambling problems. Between these two experiences, there is also a false sense of control that does not correspond to experiences previously described in the literature.
赌博危害是一个普遍存在的现象，影响着越来越多的人。理解自我控制的概念对于理解赌博问题的本质至关重要。
对通过瑞典同伴支持协会招募的10个人进行了半结构化深度访谈。使用解释现象学分析方法对数据进行了分析。
确定了三个组主题：（不）可预测性与（不）安全性：失控或受控的意义、置身“泡沫”之中：在赌博中及通过赌博应对（无）控制、微妙之举：“重新掌控”失控的生活。赌博被描述为消极螺旋的一部分，处于具有挑战性生活状况的个人试图通过赌博创造并重现控制体验。赌博对日常生活和人际关系造成的负面影响越大，就越需要退回到保护性的“泡沫”之中。
失控与受控是人类普遍的经历，通过这些经历我们可以更好地理解严重赌博问题的持续存在。在这两种经历之间，还存在一种与文献中先前描述的经历不相符的虚假控制感。
