Gambling problems among United Kingdom armed forces veterans: Associations with gambling motivation and posttraumatic stress disorder
Abstract: Military service, mental health, and gambling activities and motivations as predictors of problem gambling in a sample of UK AF veterans. Age-and-gender matched veterans (n = 1,037) and non-veterans (n = 1,148) completed an online survey of problem gambling, gambling motivation, mental health (depression and anxiety), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Past year problem gambling rates were higher in veterans compared to non-veterans. Veteran status predicted increased problem gambling risk. The relationship between problem gambling and gambling to cope with distress was significantly stronger among veterans. Veterans experiencing PTSD and complex PTSD (C-PTSD) were at increased risk of problem gambling. Overall, the present, findings contribute further international evidence that veterans are a population vulnerable to problem gambling. Veterans with PTSD or C-PTSD are most at-risk and may engage in problematic gambling to escape/avoid distress. Routine screening for gambling problems should be undertaken with current and former military personnel, and further research is needed on the interplay between gambling motivation and veterans’ mental health.
Abstract: Disordered eating is a prevalent and relevant health concern that remains understudied among U.S. military veterans. Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a newly recognized feeding and eating disorder characterized by overly restrictive eating due to (a) picky eating, (b) lack of appetite, and (c) fear of aversive consequences related to eating. The Nine-Item ARFID Screen (NIAS) is a recently developed ARFID screening tool with initial validation studies demonstrating psychometric support. However, the psychometric properties of the NIAS have not been investigated in a veteran sample. To advance our understanding of ARFID screening tools that may be appropriate for use in veterans, the present study examined the factor structure of the NIAS using survey data from a large national sample of recently separated veterans (N = 1,486). Measurement invariance across key subgroups was tested in addition to exploring differential associations between the NIAS and related constructs. Results suggested that a three-factor model provided an excellent fit of the data and demonstrated scalar invariance across self-identified men and women, race and ethnicity, and sexual and gender minority (SGM) identity. Some subgroups had higher latent means on the picky eating (women, SGM, non-Hispanic Black), appetite (women, SGM), and fear (women) factors. The NIAS had some overlap with another measure of disordered eating and was moderately correlated with psychosocial impairment and mental health. Overall, the NIAS may be a useful screening tool for ARFID in veterans, given support for the three proposed subscales and equivalence across diverse identities.