Frequency of Pathological Gambling Among Egyptian Patients with Substance Use Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Substance use disorder is one of the most complicated problems that face not only medical professionals but the whole community. This results from the enormous personal, social, and economic costs of such disorder. Objectives Our study aimed to investigate the frequency of pathological gambling among male patients with SUD who sought specialized treatment, identify the relation between severity of gambling and severity of substance use disorder, and identify the relation between severity of gambling and severity of impulsivity. Subjects and Methods This study was Cross-sectional Observational Study. It was conducted at Abbassia Mental Health Hospital including both inpatient and outpatient addiction services. Result There was highly significant positive correlation between Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). There was highly significant positive correlation between Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and Addiction Severity Index (ASI). Conclusion The current study showed that, according to basic substance distribution, there were 36.9% of patients taken Cannabinoids, 36.9% patients taken opiates, 15.4% of patients taken Stimulants, 1.5% of patients taken Alcohol and 9.2% of patients taken Sedative/ Hypnotics. There is strong relation between severity of gambling and severity of substance use disorder, and between severity of gambling and severity of impulsivity.