Problem Gambling in New Parents during COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Session Title

Poster Session

Presenters

Katherine SilangFollow

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Location

Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV

Start Date

24-5-2023 10:30 AM

End Date

24-5-2023 11:15 AM

Disciplines

Clinical Psychology | Health Psychology

Abstract

Background: Within the general population, research has found that problematic gambling increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. While 25-50% of people with gambling problems have dependent children, no research to date explores the role of COVID-19 and gambling among parents. Consequently, the primary aim of the current study is to assess the relationship between COVID-19 distress and gambling in new parents using a retrospective cohort study to see how these two phenomena are related and whether they are linked through parenting-related distress.

Methods: A retrospective cohort design will be used to assess the relationship between problem gambling behaviours, mental health concerns, and parenting distress amongst postpartum women and their partners. Participants were recruited from a longitudinal cohort of postpartum women across Canada during COVID-19 (https://www.pregnancyduringthepandemic.com/). Participants will complete self-report measures to assess mental health concerns, problem gambling behaviours, and parenting distress. Assessments were completed between 1-3 years postpartum.

Results: We expect to find that 1) parents who experienced higher COVID-19 distress will be more susceptible to later problematic gambling and that 2) this relationship between COVID-19 distress and problematic gambling may be moderated by parenting-related distress.

Implications: Findings from this research will help inform early interventions to help reduce problem gambling in parents and to improve the emotional, physical, and social trajectories of their children.

Keywords

gambling, parents, COVID-19, parenting distress, household chaos

Author Bios

Katherine is a current PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Calgary. Her research interests focus on maternal mental health its impacts on infant health and development.

Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, directs the Healthy Families lab, which aims to better understand the health trajectories in vulnerable populations. She leads the Pregnancy during the Pandemic (PdP) study, a longitudinal cohort study which has enrolled over 10,000 participants across Canada to investigate how COVID-19 has affected the mental and physical wellbeing of young families.

Dr. Andrew Kim, an assistant professor at the university of Toronto Metropolitan University leads the Addictions and Mental Health Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University, where his research aims to enhance the treatment of addictive disorders.

Funding Sources

The research leading to these results has received scholarship funding from the Alberta Gambling Research Institute (AGRI).

Competing Interests

N/A