2 - (SYM 24) A Dyadic Study of a Serial Mediational Model Linking Romantic Conflict to Problematic Gambling Through Each Partner's Depressive Symptoms and Gamblers' Coping Motives

Background: Conflict is common in the romantic relationships of problem gamblers and may be both a consequence and a trigger of problem gambling behavior. Major depressive disorder and gambling disorder are highly comorbid. Moreover, coping gambling motives (e.g., to deal with depression) are predictive of problem gambling. Recent evidence supports a serial mediation model in which conflict was linked to problematic gambling through emotional disorder symptoms and, in turn, coping gambling motives (Hagen et al., 2023). All variables were gathered via gambler self-report missing the partner’s perspective and possible partner effects. We extended this serial mediation model to a dyadic sample of gamblers and their partners.

Method: A sample of regular gamblers and their partners (N = 518 couples) were recruited; no limits were placed as to gambler status of the partners. Both couple members independently completed an online survey involving validated measures of own romantic conflict perpetration (e.g., acted in an unpleasant or angry way toward partner) and own depressive symptoms; gamblers also completed validated measures of their own coping gambling motives and their own problem gambling. Using MPlus, we examined paths from each partner’s conflict perpetration to gamblers’ problem gambling via four serial mediational effects.

Results: The indirect path of the largest magnitude replicated the Hagen et al. (2023) serial mediation pathway: gamblers’ own conflict behaviors were linked to their gambling problems via their own depressive symptoms and own coping motives. Additionally, mediational pathways illustrating partner cross-over effects were found. First, gamblers’ conflict behaviors were linked to their own problem gambling via their partners’ depressive symptoms and in turn, gamblers’ coping motives. We also observed two chained mediational pathways from partners’ conflict behavior to gamblers’ problem gambling which together were significant (via partner depressive symptoms and gambler coping motives and via gambler depressive symptoms and gambler coping motives), suggesting the possible role of partners’ conflictual behavior toward gamblers in triggering problem gambling behavior.

Conclusions: Results support targeting conflict perpetration (rejecting and critical behaviors toward one another) and depressive symptoms in gamblers and their partners, and coping motives in gamblers, as methods to reduce gamblers’ problem gambling. Findings also emphasize the importance of couples therapy in this population.