[Pathological gambling, illegal behavior and the preventive potentiality of a helpline in Argentina]. / El juego patológico, las conductas ilegales y la potencialidad preventiva del servicio de ayuda telefónica en Argentina.

INTRODUCTION: 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. OBJECTIVES: 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. METHOD: 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. RESULTS: 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.

El juego patológico, las conductas ilegales y la potencialidad preventiva del servicio de ayuda telefónica en Argentina / [Pathological gambling, illegal behavior and the preventive potentiality of a helpline in Argentina].

INTRODUCTION: 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. OBJECTIVES: 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. METHOD: 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. RESULTS: 76

of Anonymous Gamblers and 33

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.

El juego patológico, las conductas ilegales y la potencialidad preventiva del servicio de ayuda telefónica en Argentina. / [Pathological gambling, illegal behavior and the preventive potentiality of a helpline in Argentina].

INTRODUCTION: 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. OBJECTIVES: 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. METHOD: 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. RESULTS: 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.

[Gamblers seeking for help]. / Jugadores en búsqueda de ayuda.

OBJECTIVES: To describe demographic characteristics and other health and gambling related dimensions of a sample of callers to the Helpline Service of the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina. METHOD: Helpline callers were surveyed during a six month period (November, 2006 to April, 2007). The phone interviews were conducted by health professionals and had both a structured and an open section. The structured section included, among other items, the following instruments: South Oaks Gambling Screen -SOGS-, Screen for Gambling Problems National Opinion Research Center -NORD-, CAGE inventory, Brief Inventory for Pathological Gambling -CBJP- and the Evaluator Clinical Global Impression Scale -E-CGIS-. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty eight calls were received during the study period. Ninety four calls (73.4%) were made by gamblers, 52.1% of which were females and 47.9% were males; the age means were 52 and 43 respectively. The mean values obtained with the instruments were the following: NORD, 5,3; SOGS, 5,3; CBJP, 2,4 and E-CGIS, 4. Approximately, 9% of the sample did not satisfy the criteria for pathological gambling diagnosis and 11% reported to have had little or not detriment at all due to gambling. The findings support the theory that the helpline might have a preventive effect at early stages of the course of pathological gambling and provide empirical bases for appropriate service planning.

[Characteristics of pathological gamblers in Argentina]. / Características de jugadores patológicos argentinos.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of a series of identified cases of pathological gamblers in the Province of Buenos Aires. METHODS: A group under study was composed of 62 cases (45 men and 17 women) of pathological gamblers in Self-help Groups in the Buenos Aires Province, Argentine, who were submitted to questionnaire. It was corroborated that all the subjects surpassed the diagnostic threshold of the South Oaks Gambling Screen -SOGS-. The data were collected by means of 55-item questionnaire which was done in written and anonymously. A pre-test with an informed participant, a Coordinator of the Self-help Group, who at the same time mediated the informed consent of the Self-help Group, was performed with the first version of the questionnaire. RESULTS: The survey group mean age was 48 and they started gambling at the age of 25 and had financial troubles at the age of 33. Women starting age of gambling was at significantly older age than that of the men (35 years vs. 23). In general, the survey group had high educational or occupational level. Of the total amount of the survey group, 43.5 % informed that they practiced only one type of betting games and 24.2 % stated that casino was a preferred game. Women showed their preferences for slot-machines and bingo and men for casino, horse-racing and cards. Besides, 12.6 % of the survey group had alcohol problems and 84 % had smoking habits. We also detected high prevalence of affective disorders, suicide thoughts and attempts as well as financial and marital troubles. An important part of our findings coincide with those found in other countries, but with some specific local characteristics related to the gambling preferences and its association to smoking.