INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NOVEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT International Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journals, Open Access Journal ISSN Approved Journal No: 2456-4184 | Impact factor: 8.76 | ESTD Year: 2016
Scholarly open access journals, Peer-reviewed, and Refereed Journals, Impact factor 8.76 (Calculate by google scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool) , Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Indexing in all major database & Metadata, Citation Generator, Digital Object Identifier(DOI)
Background: The internet plays a crucial role in knowledge development and business growth, but also poses challenges. Problematic internet use in youths increases their risk of developing psychiatric disorders. Factors contributing to this vulnerability include unstructured internet time, unlimited access, and addictive tendencies. Mental and behavioral disorders, such as substance use, depression, and personality disorders, are associated with internet use. Problem gambling has a higher association with suicidality than general population. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study among users of Bet9ja spots in Sokoto metropolis to gamble online. South Oaks Gambling Screening Test, General Health Questionnaire-12 and Composite International Diagnostic Interview were used. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 for Windows. Results: A total of 390 subjects were studied, the majority (76.4%) had a single diagnosis, with depression being the most common, followed by anxiety and psychosis. Most were probable pathological gamblers, while 2% were non-pathological gamblers. The study found that 190 participants with comorbid depression were probable pathological gamblers, while 76.6% were non-pathological gamblers. Among the 124 non-depressed participants, 104 were probable pathological gamblers and 16.1% were non-pathological gamblers. Depression had a significant association with internet gambling behavior. Over half of the participants used psychoactive substances in the past year, with a significant association between internet gambling behavior and the use of psychoactive substances. The majority of probable pathological gamblers (83.1%) use both stimulants and depressants, with 82.0% using only depressants. A significant association exists between stimulant users and probable pathological gamblers. Alcohol and other psychoactive substances were common, with 26.7% using alcohol alone, while 21.3% used alcohol and other substances. Indian hemp was used by 17.9%, while codeine syrup and other substances were used by 2% and 2%, respectively. Conclusion: The study reveals a high rate of depression, followed by anxiety psychosis and multiple psychoactive substance use among pathological gamblers, emphasizing the need for policies to reduce mental disorders among internet gamblers, particularly youth.
Keywords:
internet gambling behavior, Bet9ja, psychiatric comorbidity, northwest Nigeria
Cite Article:
"PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITIES AMONG Bet9ja INTERNET GAMBLERS IN NORTHWEST NIGERIA", International Journal of Novel Research and Development (www.ijnrd.org), ISSN:2456-4184, Vol.8, Issue 9, page no.c139-c152, September-2023, Available :http://www.ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRD2309214.pdf
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ISSN:
2456-4184 | IMPACT FACTOR: 8.76 Calculated By Google Scholar| ESTD YEAR: 2016
An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 8.76 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator
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