Resumo

BAHAMON V, Mauricio. Pathological Gambling: Topic Review. rev.colomb.psiquiatr. [online]. 2006, vol.35, n.3, pp.381-400. ISSN 0034-7450.

Introduction: Due to the increase in incidences of pathological gambling (PG) globally, many researchers from different countries have been diligently studying Pathological Gambling as an illness that can have a profound influence on a patient’s ability to function socially, professionally and within the family. The resulting behaviors can lead to suicide, which has a comorbidity with depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and some researchers have begun to consider PG as a pathology located within the bipolar spectrum. Different pharmacological and non-medicinal treatments have proven to be efficacious for patients suffering from Pathological Gambling, but, it is clear that much is still lacking in this research. In Colombia, statistical studies of Pathological gambling still have not yet been undertaken and in general, insufficient attention has been given to the condition. Objective: This article aims to clearly explain Pathological Gambling, with the ultimate goals of bringing the condition to the attention of Colombia´s medical community and expanding and updating overall knowledge, thereby resulting in an increase of detection and treatment of PG within our domain. Results: Pathological Gambling is a sub-diagnosed entity and as such is subtreated at a global level and even more in our country where it is barely explored in patients with risk factors of presenting it. Conclusions: There are no statistics or conclusive studies in our country that show the size of the problem that could be generating from the presence of pathological gambling in the population even though it is known that our population culturally tends to develop gambling activities that put the family economy and the integrity of these as a social nucleus at risk.

Palavras-chave : Pathological gambling; depression; substance abuse; anxiety disorder; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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