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The present study explored the topics and sentiment associated with gambling addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic, using topic modeling and sentiment analysis on tweets in English posted between 17-24 th April 2020. The study was exploratory in nature, with its main objective consisting of inductively identifying topics embedded in user-generated content. We found that a five-topic model was the best in representing the data corpus, including: (i) the public's perception of gambling addiction amid the COVID-19 outbreak, (ii) risks and support available for those who stay at home, (iii) the users' interpretation of gambling addiction, (iv) forms of gambling during the pandemic, and (v) gambling advertising and impact on families. Sentiment analysis showed a prevalence of underlying fear, trust, sadness, and anger, across the corpus. Users viewed the pandemic as a driver of problematic gambling behaviors, possibly exposing unprepared individuals and communities to forms of online gambling, with potential long-term consequences and a significant impact on health systems. Despite the limitations of the study, we hypothesize that enhancing the presence of mental health operators and practitioners treating problem gambling on social media might positively impact public mental health and help prevent health services from being overwhelmed, in times when healthcare resources are limited.

The past decade has witnessed an expanded accessibility and popularity of gambling worldwide, and in Italy the phenomenon significantly increased. Nevertheless, little is known about the role of gambling cognitions among Italian individuals, and few scales assessing problem gambling have been validated. The purpose of the present study was to examine and validate the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale-Italian version (GRCS-I), based on the 23-item Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS). Two-tailed t tests, ANOVA, MANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analyses were used for continuous variables, while χ(2) tests with Yates's correction for categorical variables. Cronbach's α was utilized to determine the internal consistency, and logistic regression analysis and the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to determine discriminant validity. Principal axis factoring with Oblimin rotation was applied, and then confirmatory factor analysis was used to cross-validate the factor structures. We extracted a five-factor solution that accounted for 60 % of variance. All 23 items had communalities and factor loadings were satisfactory, and the factor structures were similar to the original version of the measure. The Cronbach's α coefficients were adequate, and concurrent and discriminant validities of the GRCS were also confirmed. GRCS-I presented good psychometric properties and it demonstrated good validity and reliability, providing a valid and suitable tool for the assessment of gambling related cognitions among Italian individuals.

In Italy, problem gambling is a condition of significant importance from a public health perspective. The onset, development and maintenance of problem gambling are mainly attributable to a series of individual, erroneous perceptions, known in the literature as gambling related cognitions. The latter correlate both with the urge to gamble and with the functions of gambling as positive reinforcement and escape. Recently, two scales that are already available and used in other cultural contexts have been translated in Italian and validated in Italian samples, such as the Gambling Urge Scale (GUS), assessing gambling urge, and the Gambling Functional Assessment-Revised (GFA-R), assessing functions of gambling. The aim of the present paper is to illustrate the psychometric properties of the scales and provide materials and instructions for their correct use in the Italian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem gambling is a growing phenomenon in Italy, and there is increasing interest in studying the reasons for gambling in the Italian community. The Gambling Functional Assessment-Revised (GFA-R) was developed to assess two contingencies maintaining gambling behaviour: positive reinforcement and escape. The study hypothesized that the GFA-R could be translated and adopted in the Italian context. The main purpose of this study was to test the factor structure of the Italian version of the GFA-R by means of confirmatory factor analysis, its internal consistency and validity, in a sample of 667 Italian-speaking adults, recruited at universities, banks, offices, industries, markets, public parks and shops in five regions: Piemonte, Veneto, Lazio, Calabria and Puglia. The study found that the scale was internally consistent, and results showed that the original two-factor model fitted the data well. It also found moderate correlations between the GFA-R-I and both SOGS scores and GRCS scores. These results will allow Italian psychologists, educators and policymakers to identify specific contingencies maintaining gambling behaviour (positive reinforcement vs. escape) in the Italian community, detecting people more at risk of developing disordered gambling, with significant improvements in terms of prevention and clinical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicidality and problem gambling represent global health issues. Based on evidence from recent literature, the aim of the present study was to test a theoretical model, in which: (1) Emotional Intelligence and Self and Other Representations of adult attachment combine into a latent factor representing Interpersonal Security; (2) Interpersonal Security negatively predicts Problem Gambling and Suicidal Ideation, respectively; (3) Problem Gambling positively predicts Suicidal Ideation. We used Structural Equation Modelling to test the study hypotheses. The model showed good fit to the data. Factor loadings were high and statistically significant. We found that the hypothesis of Emotional Intelligence and Self and Other Representations combining into a common factor, Interpersonal Security, is empirically supported. The joint effect of Interpersonal Security and Problem Gambling explains about the 63% of variance of Suicidal ideation. The path from Interpersonal Security to Suicidal Ideation is significant and high, whilst the path from Problem Gambling to Suicidal Ideation is not significant. Interpersonal Security explains about 16% of the variance of Problem Gambling. These results outline an integrated model of Suicidal Ideation and Problem Gambling in the community from an interpersonal-psychological perspective, with important implications for researchers, mental health practitioners, and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]