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Stigma refers to the attribution of negative sentiments towards a particular entity, object or individual. Stigma can be public, perceived, or self-referential and can have negative consequences for individuals, including losses of self-esteem, self-efficacy, social isolation and a reluctance to seek help. Problem gambling is known to be a stigmatized activity, but less is known about what factors are associated with this perception and how it might vary in different countries. The current study examines the relationship between perceived stigma towards problem gamblers and gambling attitudes. perceptions of gambling regulations, gambling involvement, perceived accessibility to gambling, and exposure to people with gambling problems. The sample comprised 1787 university students aged 18–30 years from four countries: Australia, Canada, Croatia and Israel. The results indicated that greater perceived stigma was associated with more negative gambling attitudes, less engagement with gambling, and lower perceived social accessibility (the perception that others approve of the activity). Respondents from Croatia, the country with a newer gambling market, reported the most stigma towards problem gamblers as compared with Australia and Canada where gambling is longer established. The findings appear consistent with exposure–adaptation theory, in which tolerance towards people with problem gambling can develop over time in line with greater social acceptance or familiarity with the activity and its consequences. It is suggested that community campaigns and educational programs draw a distinction between attitudes towards gambling in general and those who are negatively affected by the activity.

Recovery from any addiction, including gambling, involves continuous efforts to improve wellness despite the obstacles and challenges. The recovery capital (RC) model is a holistic conceptual framework operationalized along a continuum ranging from positive internal and external RC resources that enhance recovery to negative recovery capital (NRC) which are defined as obstacles that impede individuals from coping with their addiction. Although previous studies have conceptualized the positive side of the RC model, no study has systematically explored NRC. This study develops a model that maps and conceptualizes the elements that impede recovery from gambling disorder (GD). In the current study, 133 individuals with a lifetime GD were interviewed about the factors that have hindered their recovery. A content analysis identified 14 NRC categories that were classified into four domains: Human NRC (urges and uncontrolled urges, cognitive distortions, inaction, sensation seeking, stressful life events, negative emotions, ability to conceal, a lack of motivation to recover), Social NRC (lack of social or familial networks, conflictual or dangerous social networks), Community NRC (an environment that encourages gambling, money lenders), and Financial NRC (financial distress and debt, money as a risk factor). The discussion centers on a holistic perspective of the elements that hinder recovery from GD, and calls for intervention methods that aim to minimize NRC to provide more holistic solutions to GD and possibly other addictions.

Background and aims The concept of recovery capital (RC) describes the internal and external resources that individuals draw upon to initiate and sustain the processes of addiction recovery. This concept has been primarily applied to individuals recovering from substance addictions. In this study, the RC concept was applied to individuals with a gambling disorder (GD) to test its associations with the diagnosis and severity of GD and with levels of psychopathology as manifested in depression and anxiety. Methods A sample of 140 individuals who recovered or did not recover from a GD was drawn from lists of former and currently treated individuals in five gambling treatment centers in Israel. The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for GD, Assessment of Recovery Capital and Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital Scales adapted to Gambling, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 which measures depression were used. Results RC clearly distinguishes between individuals who have recovered from GD and those who have not. A structural equation model showed significant negative associations between RC and GD severity, depression, and generalized anxiety. The associations between GD severity and depression and anxiety were not significant. However, when omitting the path between RC and depression/anxiety, the associations between GD and depression/anxiety became significant. Conclusions RC plays an important role in GD severity and diagnosis, as well as in psychopathology. This study extends the concept of RC to the area of gambling and contributes to the growing body of studies that have found parallels and common denominators between substance addiction and behavioral addictions.

Background: Spirituality is related to an individual’s relationship with a Transcendent Being or Ultimate Reality, which may contribute to salutary human experience and serve as a motive for attitu...

Social changes in recent years have led to a broadening of the definition of family. The perception of the concept of family among the American public was assessed in 2003 and 2006 by means of the Family Perception Scale, which found that the respondents fell into three clusters, dubbed Exclusionists, Moderates, and Inclusionists. Based on a sample of adult Jewish population in Israel ( N = 1,518), this study examined whether these categories could apply to the Israeli public too, and if so, whether the distribution of these clusters were the same as in the United States. The study’s findings confirm that while this classification is well suited to the perception of family in Israel, the distribution of the three clusters differs from that in the United States. These findings may indicate that while global influences promote similar views of family structures, local influences may result in different cluster distribution patterns in each society.

Applying Schwartz's values theory and Allport's contact theory, this study examines the role of personal values and personal acquaintance with non-traditional families as mediators of the association between socio-demographic variables (SES) and family concept. In the first known study of its kind on the Jewish-Israeli family, a sample of 1518 adult respondents took part in a panel survey. The main findings underline the strong contribution of personal acquaintance with non-traditional families and the values of Conservation, and Self-Transcendence as mediators of the association between SES and family definition. In addition, women, the better-educated, and secular respondents are more inclusive in the types of relationships sanctioned as family. These findings shed light on the complex mechanisms by which personal variables, SES and individual values, and the environmental variable of personal contact with non-traditional families underpin the definition of family, and further support the utility of All...

This exclusive department is created to include findings of special significance and to identify areas of subtle research nuances through mutual debates, discourse and discussions. Elenctic method is used wherein knowledge progresses through articulation, cross-examination and rejection of spurious hypotheses. Thus, probe aims at encouraging scholars to think against the grain by unmasking the stereotype and dogmatic that has taken the mould of research conservatism. Contact the Editor-in-chief for more details.

This study deals with how substance-dependent men perceive their paternal identity. Data were based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 12 Israeli fathers who were enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment. Content analysis revealed that participants had undergone a process of parental identity formation composed of four distinct stages: absence, awakening, taking responsibility, and resolution to re-form oneself as a father. The discussion highlights the developmental nature of this process. Also discussed are the effects of three factors on the formation of paternal identity: the treatment for addiction, the subjects' newfound identity as "clean addicts," and social perceptions and discourses about fatherhood and addiction.Key Words: fatherhood, Methadone maintenance treatment, paternal identity, substance-dependent men.In these times of rapid social change, fatherhood is at once an identity, a practice, a social structure, and an individual life experience (Henwood & Procter, 2003; Lamb, 2010; Palkovitz & Palm, 2009). Paternal identity is complex and varied. Its formation is influenced by social perceptions of masculinity (Brandth & Kvande, 1998), by paternal roles (Doherty, 1997; Lamb & Tamis-LeMonda, 2004), and by intergenerational relations between father and son (Lamb, 1997). It binds together past events, present experiences, and thoughts about "my future self."Most of the literature on parenting and addictions has focused on the mothering practices of substance-abusing women (McMahon, Winkle, Luthar, & Rounsaville, 2005) and the effect of their substance use on the child (Loukas, Fitzgerald, Zucker & Von Eye, 2001) and less so on the issue of substancedependent men as fathers. The little that is known in this field suggests that substanceabusing fathers value their paternal status and are involved in their children's lives more than is commonly assumed (McMahon & Rounsaville, 2002), albeit accompanied by feelings of guilt and uncertainty about their relevance to their children's lives (Arenas & Greif, 2000). The paternal identity of substance-abusing men is still largely unexplored, so the purpose of the present study was to broaden what is currently known about this subject. The terminology in the literature on fathering and addictions is somewhat inconsistent in its use of the terms addiction, drug abuse, substance abuse, and drug dependence. In this article, we define the population at hand as substancedependent fathers, in keeping with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 2000).Fatherhood and Paternal IdentityFatherhood is a dynamic, complex, and multifaceted phenomenon subject to cultural, economic, and social change (Lamb & TamisLemonda, 2004). The concept of father is defined both by the father's biological function and by his emotional and social role (Dowd, 2000). In other words, it is a complex bio-psycho-social process that determines and shapes a man's identity and roles as a father in accordance with family-related and social ideologies (Branditi & Kvande, 1998; Lamb, 2010). The perception of fatherhood has changed over history, with each period placing the primary emphasis on a different aspect (Lamb, 1987): the father as moral teacher, responsible for his children's upbringing (particularly with regard to religious values); the father as breadwinner and gender role model; and the nurturing, or "New Father," who expresses his feelings and is sensitive to his children's needs, shows interest in them, and takes an active part in promoting their educational, cognitive, and emotional development (Coltrane, 1996; Lupton & Barclay, 1997). Despite these distinctions, fathers today appear to have no clear boundary between these four roles: They are all part of the fatherhood experience, with the relative importance attributed to each one varying from one father to the next and between different social groups (Lamb, 2010). …

This study examines the control exhibited by pathological women gamblers over their lives and their surroundings, and how this is governed by their perception of their gender role and socio-cultural expectations of them as women. Seventeen pathological women gamblers (13 of whom were mothers) were recruited from three addiction treatment centers in Israel, and participated in semi-structured interviews. Three central themes emerged during analysis: maintaining control over the gender roles—putting child raising and housekeeping duties first despite their gambling habits; control over the choice of gambling venue—gambling far from their home, or where they knew the owners; and moral control—steering clear of immoral behaviors in spite of their addiction to gambling. Further analysis reveals how pathological women gamblers who are also mothers make rational choices that help them juggle between their gender roles and gambling, to minimize the social costs that might be incurred by their gambling habit. Moreover, presenting the gambling behavior as more moral than theft or prostitution enabled them to normalize their behavior. The study’s findings show how the decisions and choices made by the women in this study are shaped by the socio-cultural context in which they are made.

This study examines the relationships between gambling behaviour and temperament, sense of coherence (SOC) and exposure to advertising among adolescents, and the interactions between these three in...

Women with a gambling problem bear a negative social stigma. Based on the theory of symbolic interactionism, this study examined the construction of social identities by 17 Israeli women diagnosed with a gambling disorder. Interpretive interactionist analysis revealed how they construct their identity through correspondence with patterns of behavior that are perceived as normative, and identified 3 major themes: "I'm not actually a gambler" (the presentation of a multidimensional identity comprising other identities besides that of a gambler); "Staying normative during gambling"; and "I have changed" (reformed gamblers' presentation of themselves as having changed for the better). The findings underscore the complex dialogue behind the identity construction put forward by women with a gambling problem, their yearning to be perceived by society as normative women and to fit in despite their stigmatized behavior, and the tension they feel in society's relationship toward them. The findings also suggest that practitioners who work with women gamblers may want to pay attention to the power relations shaping identity construction in an interview setting, and look more closely at the women's awareness of the stigma they bear and the complex processes that make up their multidimensional identity.

Background and Objectives This study examines the association between physical activities and gambling, making a distinction between two characteristics of the former: intensity level and type (competitive/non-competitive). Method 316 adolescents from four high schools in Israel completed questionnaires. Results For males, participation in competitive athletic sports was associated with gambling frequency and problem gambling. For females, participation in competitive athletic sports was associated only with gambling frequency. Conclusions Both types of physical activity and gender are important when analyzing the association between gambling and sporting activities. Scientific Significance Youths involved in competitive sports are at greater risk for gambling involvement. (Am J Addict 2015;24:200–202)