Relationship between Cryptocurrency Trading, Hopelessness, and Financial Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Physicians

BACKGROUND Cryptocurrencies trade continuously on highly volatile markets and can elicit emotionally driven, gambling-like behaviors. Physicians experience high occupational stress and burnout, potentially predisposing them to risky financial activities. We examined whether hopelessness and perceived financial well-being are associated with problematic cryptocurrency trading among physicians. MATERIAL AND METHODS In a cross-sectional online survey, 300 licensed physicians from Diyarbakır, Turkey, completed the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS; score range, 0-20), Financial Well-Being Scale (FWBS; 0-100), and Problematic Cryptocurrency Trading Scale (PCTS; 16-80). Group differences were evaluated with t tests and chi-square tests, and multivariable linear regression models estimated PCTS predictors. RESULTS Participants' mean age was 39.8±7.2 years; 70% were male; mean practice duration was 14.1±6.9 years. Male physicians had higher PCTS scores than female physicians (33.0±6.8 vs 29.8±5.9; P=0.03); BHS and FWBS scores did not differ by sex. In regression models, older age (ß=0.32, P=0.04) and male sex (ß=1.45, P=0.02) predicted higher PCTS scores. Hopelessness was positively associated with PCTS (ß=0.80, P=0.001), whereas financial well-being showed a trend toward significance (ß=-0.03, P=0.067). The demographics-only model explained approximately 8% of PCTS variance; the psychosocial model R²=0.35 (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Among physicians, male sex, older age, and higher hopelessness are independently associated with problematic cryptocurrency trading, while perceived financial well-being is not clearly protective. Targeted institutional interventions (financial literacy and stress-management programs) may mitigate compulsive trading and support physician well-being.