Examining the relationship between gambling addiction and impulsivity in university students

This study aimed to examine the relationship between gambling addiction and impulsivity, which has become increasingly common among university students, and in this direction, the study was conducted with the participation of 489 students at Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University. In the survey, a form prepared for demographic information of the students, South Oaks Gambling Screening Test (SOGS) to measure pathological gambling behavior and Barratt Impulsivity Scale Short Form (BIS-11-SF) to examine the relationship with impulsivity were used. The collected data were analyzed with IBM SPSS 22 package program and the findings were discussed accordingly. According to the findings of the study, there was a positive and significant relationship between gambling addiction and impulsivity (r=.26, p<.001). At the same time, it was found that impulsivity had a significant, positive and weak effect on gambling addiction in university students (R=.265; R2: ,070; p<.05). In this direction, university students who scored at the level of "probable pathological gambler" (Mean=2.31, SD=.67) were found to have significantly higher impulsivity than students with lower and normal gambling scores (Mean=1.91, SD=.44). As psychiatric nurses, it is recommended to take preventive measures by providing psychosocial trainings and counseling services to individuals with high impulsivity who are in the risk group for gambling addiction.