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This paper presents a critical overview of measures used to assess adult problem gambling in clinical settings and general population research. Particular consideration is given to the challenges in transferring clinically derived measures into population research settings. Numerous screens developed for use in large population surveys as well as in non-specialist clinical settings are described in detail. Overall, the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and its derivatives continue to be the most widely used measures in most contexts and parts of the world although the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders—IV) measures and the CPGI (Canadian Problem Gambling Index) are increasingly being used. While these measures are likely to continue in use, there are clear and growing indications that changes are needed to the official diagnosis of pathological gambling rather than to the measures that have been developed to assess gambling problems in population research and clinical settings. However, there is also room for improvement in these measures.
Abbott et al. (Thu,) studied this question.