Association Between Problem Gambling and Conduct Disorder in a National Survey of Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States

PurposeThe purpose of this analysis is to examine the relationship between current problem gambling and current conduct disorder.MethodsData were analyzed for a U.S. national survey of respondents aged 14–21 years.ResultsA strong co-morbidity between current problem gambling and current conduct disorder was found. However, this co-morbidity was much stronger among younger respondents, declined in strength with increasing age, and was absent among the oldest respondents. Further analyses showed that early-onset problem gamblers had a higher risk for conduct disorder than late-onset problem gamblers.ConclusionsGambling problems that emerge early are likely to be part of a general pattern of problem behavior, whereas gambling problems that emerge later may have an etiology unique to gambling.