Frequency of pathological gambling among Egyptian patients with substance use disorders: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Pathological gambling and substance use disorders (SUDs) share overlapping neurobiological pathways and clinical features. However, the prevalence of pathological gambling among Egyptian patients receiving treatment for SUDs remains insufficiently explored. Objective To estimate the prevalence of pathological and problem gambling within a treatment-seeking sample of Egyptian men with SUDs and to examine the associations of gambling severity with substance-use severity and impulsivity. Methods Sixty-five men receiving care for SUDs at the addiction treatment unit of Abbassia Mental Health Hospital, Cairo, were studied cross-sectionally. Their substance use diagnoses were based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I). Gambling was graded using the National Opinion Research Center DSM Screen (NODS) alongside the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI); impulsivity and global functioning were captured by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), respectively. Results The mean age was 31.96 ± 5.1 years. Based on the NODS, 12.3% met criteria for pathological gambling. The PGSI identified 6.1% as problem gamblers and 12.2% at low-to-moderate risk. Gambling severity (PGSI) showed significant positive associations with impulsivity ($ r = 0.405, p < 0.001$) and addiction severity ($ r = 0.417, p < 0.001$). Most participants (92.3%) reported multiple substance use relapses. Conclusion Pathological and problem gambling were identified in a subgroup of treatment-seeking Egyptian men with SUDs, and greater gambling severity was associated with greater impulsivity and addiction severity. Further controlled and prospective studies are needed to determine the generalizability and clinical implications of these findings.