The phenomenon of the three monkeys of Turkish society: A systematic review of gambling addiction

While addiction is recognised as a serious problem in modern society, gambling addiction has become a growing concern globally, especially in recent years. Because gambling addiction has the potential to negatively affect individuals' financial stability, social relationships and psychological health. Today, with the diversification and increased accessibility of gambling opportunities, the risk of being exposed to gambling addiction has also increased. Therefore, research on gambling addiction and the measures to be taken are of great importance for the well-being of individuals and public health. The aim of this review is to analyze the research articles that examine gambling addiction in T & uuml;rkiye, which is covered up legally and socially, but causes havoc in every sense. Studies on gambling addiction between 2017 and 2024 were searched through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS) and TR-Index databases. As a result of the search, a total of 264 articles were found. After following the PRISMA steps, 18 studies that were relevant to the topic and scope and up-to-date were identified for inclusion in this review. As a result of the findings, the scarcity of research focusing on psychotherapy in the context of gambling addiction is noteworthy. The existing studies predominantly utilize correlational survey design, leaving a noticeable gap in the literature regarding psychotherapeutic interventions (individual and/or group). Future research could prioritize developing and evaluating evidence-based intervention programs that draw on established therapeutic approaches in the field as well as functional therapies. There also appears to be a need for intervention trials, longitudinal and mixed-methods studies to measure the sustained effectiveness of treatment modalities and to identify the most appropriate strategies to alleviate the public health burden of gambling addiction.

Journal

JOURNAL OF GAMBLING ISSUES

Year

2024

Issue

54

Pages

1-27

ISSN

1910-7595

WoS UID

WOS:001303914800004