Abstract
This study investigates the effects of online sports betting on psychological distress among young individuals in the Volta region of Ghana. A cross-sectional study of four hundred and three (403) participants were selected using a multi-stage sampling method. The study used a standardized questionnaire to assess psychological distress with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS 21) and problematic gambling with the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). The analysis included the implementation of the bootstrap technique within multiple regression models using Jeffreys’s Amazing Statistics Program (JASP) [0.18.2], Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) [29.0.2], and Microsoft Excel (2019). The study found a prevalence of 40% for problematic gambling and 44% for moderate gambling problems among participants, resulting in an overall gambling prevalence of 84%. The estimated prevalence of depression among participants was 43.6%, with stress reported at 31.1% and anxiety at 68.8%. The overall prevalence of psychological distress was 48%. The study noted that males were more prone to gambling-related psychological distress than females (β = 2.036, p = 0.025). Individuals with problem gambling showed the highest probability of experiencing more significant psychological distress compared to other groups (β = 9.228, p = 0.002), followed by those with moderate gambling levels (β = 3.283, p = 0.002). We recommend that the Ghana Mental Health Authority, in collaboration with the Gaming Commission of Ghana, should develop youth-friendly interventions to address the prevalence and onset of problematic gambling among the youth, especially males.
Presenters
Emmanuel ManuSenior Lecturer, Population and Behavioural Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana, Volta, Ghana
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Health Promotion and Education
KEYWORDS
Gambling; Mental health; Psychological distress; Standardised Psychometric Tools, Volta Region
