Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38950959›Full record

ArticleBMJ military health2025

Demographic characteristics, gambling engagement, mental health, and associations with harmful gambling risk among UK Armed Forces serving personnel.

Matthew Jones, H Champion, G Dighton, J Larcombe, M Fossey, S Dymond

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ military health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Matthew JonesCentre for Military Gambling Research, School of Psychology, Swansea University - Singleton Campus, Swansea, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6974-8725
H ChampionCentre for Military Gambling Research, School of Psychology, Swansea University - Singleton Campus, Swansea, UK.
G DightonCentre for Military Gambling Research, School of Psychology, Swansea University - Singleton Campus, Swansea, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9283-5114
J LarcombeThe Recovery Course, Tonbridge, UK.
M FosseyVeterans and Families Institute, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9725-7464
S DymondCentre for Military Gambling Research, School of Psychology, Swansea University - Singleton Campus, Swansea, UK s.o.dymond@swansea.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1319-4492

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionHarmful gambling negatively impacts individuals, families and communities. Growing international evidence indicates that the Armed Forces (AF) community may be at a comparatively higher risk of experiencing harm from gambling than the general population. The current study sought to identify general predictors of harmful gambling and gambling engagement among UK AF serving personnel (AFSP).

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, exploratory survey to identify associations between demographic factors, mental health, gambling engagement and gambling type in a sample (N=608) of AFSP.

resultsMost of the sample reported past-year gambling, with 23% having experienced harm. Male gender, younger age and lower educational attainment all predicted harmful gambling, as did mental health variables of prior generalised anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptomatology. Strategy-based gambling and online sports betting were also predictive of experiencing harm from gambling.

conclusionsThe risk of harm from gambling is associated with demographic, mental health and gambling engagement variables among AFSP. Better understanding of these predictors is important for the development of individualised treatment approaches for harmful gambling.

Indexed as

DemographyGamblingMental HealthMilitary PersonnelAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRisk FactorsSociodemographic FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited KingdomAdult psychiatryMENTAL HEALTHPublic healthPUBLIC HEALTH

Identifiers

PMID38950959
PMCPMC12703330

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.