Il gioco d'azzardo problematico: Il ruolo dei fattori cognitivi e affettivi in un campione di studenti universitari

The increased accessibility to gambling and the prevalence of gamblers makes the issue of the consequences of gambling a public health problem, due to the negative impact of this phenomenon on individuals' well-being and health. The aims of this study are: (a) to investigate the role of emotional factors (e.g. emotion regulation) and cognitive factors (e.g. the individual's control beliefs) on problematic and risky gambling, and (b) to test the integrated model of problem gambling (Blaszczynsky and Nower 2002). A self-report questionnaire was administered to 313 university students (54,3% female; age M = 22,4, s.d. = 2,8). Problematic and risky gambling is associated with a high use of expressive suppression as an emotion regulation strategy, the illusion of control and a belief in systems as cognitive beliefs. Effective preventive and treatment interventions for college students should take into account the concurrent role of emotional and cognitive factors. Moreover, this study partially confirms the model of Blaszczynsky and Nower (2002). Further studies could consider the role of factors such as impulsiveness, sensation seeking and gambling motives.