Online Gambling Practices and Related Problems in Five European Countries: Findings from the Electronic Gam(bl)ing Multinational Empirical Survey (E-GAMES) Project.

Online gambling has demonstrated a significant and growing impact on overall gambling involvement. To examine online gambling practices and associated problems, we conducted surveys with national samples of Internet users in several European countries. The objective of this paper is to provide a portrait of online gambling practices and problems in five European countries (i.e., France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Poland) with different online gambling regulatory systems. This paper is the first presenting national comparisons of online gambling practices. Participants reported on their gameplay patterns, demographic characteristics, gambling-related problems, gambling frequency, average spending on different online gambling activities, and offline gambling participation over the past 12 months. The Problem Gambling Severity Index was used to assess the severity of gambling problems in relation to online gambling (Ferris & Wynne, 2001 in The Canadian Problem Gambling Index: Final report, Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, 2001). Pairwise logistic regressions examined the association between problem gambling and sociodemographic variables as well as gambling patterns and problem gambling. In all countries except Italy, the most popular online gambling activity was lotteries with nearly three quarters of participants reporting participation. The prevalence of at-risk and problem gambling was high in all countries with Poland reporting the highest prevalence and Switzerland the lowest. Gamblers who participated in gambling activities other than lottery were more likely to experience gambling-related problems. The rates in the present study are well above the levels usually found in surveys. High online gambling frequency, high spending, and participation in multiple online gambling activities were significantly associated with experiencing gambling-related problems.

The caregiver burden in male romantic partners of women with non-metastatic breast cancer: The protective role of couple satisfaction.

We examined the evolution of the subjective burden of romantic partners caring for women with non-metastatic breast cancer and investigated the moderating role of couple satisfaction on caring stress. Forty-seven partners filled out questionnaires 3 and 12 months after surgery. Using a stress process model, we examined caring stressors and moderating factors (couple satisfaction, coping and social support) as predictors of subjective burden. Results showed that subjective burden decreases over time and that the couple satisfaction largely explains it above and beyond other influential variables. Partners dissatisfied with their couple relationship are especially vulnerable to the stress of caregiving.

The protective effect of a satisfying romantic relationship on women's body image after breast cancer: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the protective role of relationship satisfaction on body image in women with breast cancer throughout the first year post-surgery. METHODS: Seventy-four Swiss patients engaged in a relationship filled out a questionnaire assessing body image disturbance 2 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year after surgery. A univariate latent change score model was used to analyze the evolution of body image disturbance and the contribution of relationship satisfaction to body image disturbance. RESULTS: Women who were satisfied with their relationship reported less body image disturbance than did dissatisfied women at 2 weeks post-surgery. Being married was also associated with less body image disturbance at that time. The protective effect of these relational variables was still observable 1 year later. Changes in body image disturbance over time were explained by the negative impacts of mastectomy and chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: How women perceive the impact of breast cancer treatment on their body may be partly determined by the quality of the relational context in which they live.

Distress and body image disturbances in women with breast cancer in the immediate postsurgical period: The influence of attachment insecurity.

The aim of this study was to assess, in the immediate postsurgical period, the influence of attachment avoidance and anxiety on distress and body image disturbances in women facing breast cancer. Seventy-five women participated in the study 3 weeks after surgery. Questionnaires were used to assess study variables. To predict distress and body image disturbances, we controlled for several variables known to influence adjustment to the stress of breast cancer. The results of hierarchical regression analyses show that attachment explains the outcomes above and beyond other influential variables. Insecurely attached women are especially vulnerable to the stress of the disease.