From Adolescents to Adults: Understanding the Relationship between Gambling Disorder and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Background: This oral presentation aims to address a little-explored dimension in the field of behavioral addictions: the interrelationship between gambling disorder and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors. Acknowledging the notable lack of studies focused on NSSI, this research seeks to fill this gap, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive understanding of this association.

Methods: To address this research gap, a comprehensive and critical analysis of the existing literature will be conducted in the oral presentation. This will be complemented by empirical findings from two original studies. The first study examines NSSI and gambling disorder in a representative sample of adolescents across Europe, thus providing a cross-sectional and culturally diverse perspective. The second study focuses on NSSI in adults with a clinical diagnosis of gambling disorder, thereby offering insights from a clinical viewpoint. Both studies evaluate gender differences in terms of the association between NSSI and gambling disorder.

Results and Conclusions: The findings from both studies will be reported in the current oral presentation. They reveal insights into the patterns of NSSI in both adolescent and adult populations affected by gambling disorders. The results offer valuable implications for intervention and prevention practices, highlighting the need for tailored approaches in both clinical and community settings to effectively address this co-occurrence of NSSI and gambling disorder.