Lifshin Uri, Bonny-Noach Hagit, Skvirsky Vera, Shmulewitz Dvora, Vider Merav, Kor Ariel, Lev-Ran Shaul, Mikulincer Mario
Department of Psychology and Azrieli Israel Center for Addiction and Mental Health, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Department of Criminology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
J Gambl Stud. 2025 Sep 9. doi: 10.1007/s10899-025-10417-8.
Research suggests that Problem Gambling (PG) may result from maladaptive emotional regulation strategies aimed at escaping emotions and stress caused by negative life events and trauma. The current study, aimed to examine the effect of exposure to the mass trauma of October 7, 2023 terror attack and the consequent Swords of Iron war in Israel, and difficulties in emotional regulation on PG. We utilized longitudinal data of self-reports in the Problem Gambling Severity Index collected before the terror attack (April 2022) and during the Swords of Iron war (December 2023, March 2024, June 2024; N = 899) from a large sample of adult Jewish Israelis. Participants also completed the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale before the war (April 2022). Results indicated that for non-problem gamblers, among men, high difficulties in emotion regulation scores were associated with increased PG scores from the time before to the times during the war (bs > 0.53, p-values < 0.003) but not for women or men with low difficulties in emotion regulation scores (bs < 0.36, p-values > 0.167). Among participants at moderate risk for PG and problem gamblers, there was a decrease in PG scores, especially among participants low in difficulties in emotion regulation, beyond gender. Findings highlight the important role of collective traumatic events and difficulties in emotion regulations as predictors of problem gambling. We discuss the study limitations, including the relatively small number of participants at risk for PG and the specificity of the sample, and offer directions for future research.
研究表明，问题赌博（PG）可能源于旨在逃避由负面生活事件和创伤所引发的情绪和压力的适应不良的情绪调节策略。本研究旨在考察暴露于2023年10月7日恐怖袭击以及以色列随后的“铁剑”战争所造成的大规模创伤，以及情绪调节困难对问题赌博的影响。我们利用了来自大量成年犹太裔以色列人的纵向自我报告数据，这些数据是在恐怖袭击之前（2022年4月）以及“铁剑”战争期间（2023年12月、2024年3月、2024年6月；N = 899）收集的问题赌博严重程度指数。参与者还在战争之前（2022年4月）完成了情绪调节困难量表。结果表明，对于非问题赌徒，在男性中，情绪调节得分高的困难程度与从战前到战争期间问题赌博得分的增加相关（b值> 0.53，p值< 0.003），但对于情绪调节得分低困难程度的女性或男性则不然（b值< 0.36，p值> 0.167）。在问题赌博中度风险参与者和问题赌徒中，问题赌博得分有所下降，尤其是在情绪调节困难程度低的参与者中，不分性别。研究结果凸显了集体创伤事件和情绪调节困难作为问题赌博预测因素的重要作用。我们讨论了研究的局限性，包括问题赌博风险参与者数量相对较少以及样本的特殊性，并为未来研究提供了方向。
