Study of Gambling Addiction in Adolescents with Mental Retardation
Authors: Tokarskaya Ludmila V. , Khlystova Elena V. , Pokhaluev Andrey A. , Tokareva Natalya G. 
Published: January 2024

Introduction. The article discusses the features of the manifestation of gambling addiction in adolescents with mental retardation (AMR). The purpose of the article is to determine the level and manifestations of gambling addiction in adolescents with mental retardation in comparison with adolescents with normative development.

Materials and Methods. The study sample consisted of adolescents aged 13–14 years, who were divided into two groups. The first included students of the 7th grade of the State Educational Institution of the Sverdlovsk Region “Ekaterinburg School No. 9”, who were recommended training in an adapted educational program for children with mental retardation (20 people); the second group consisted of students of the 7th grade of the Municipal Budgetary Educational Institution of Secondary School No. 107, who did not have developmental features (20 people). The paper uses: a test questionnaire of the degree of enthusiasm of younger adolescents for computer games by A. V. Grishina; screening diagnostics of computer addiction (L. N. Yurieva, T. Y. Bolbot); the technique of “Aggressive behavior” (E. P. Ilyin, P. A. Kovalev); G. V. Lozova’s test for the presence of dependence on 13 types of addictions in the sample of the two groups of adolescents aged 13–14 years (20 people with PSD and 20 people without developmental characteristics). Statistical differences were calculated using the Mann-Whitney U test, correlation analysis was carried out using the Spearman correlation coefficient.

Results. A comparative and correlation analysis was carried out, as a result of which no significant differences in the indicators of gambling addiction in the selected groups were revealed. At the same time, adolescents without developmental characteristics have higher indicators of computer dependence on the level of aggression and a tendency to direct physical aggression. The relationship between aggression and gambling addiction was found.

Discussion and Conclusion. In adolescents with mental retardation of both sexes, there is a relationship between a tendency to direct physical aggression and a scale of preference for virtual communication to real one. In female adolescents without developmental features, there is a relationship between a tendency to indirect verbal aggression with a scale of emotional attitude to computer games, a scale of self-control in computer games and index of interest in computer games. There is also a relationship between the level of aggression and the tendency to direct verbal aggression with the scale of preference for virtual communication over real. The relationship between the tendency to indirect verbal aggression and the scale of target orientation in computer games was revealed. In male adolescents without developmental features, there is a relationship between the tendency to indirect physical aggression with the scale of emotional attitude to computer games, the scale of self-control in computer games, the scale of preference for virtual communication to real and the index degree of interest in computer games. According to the results of the correlation analysis, the relationship between aggression and gambling addiction is traced. At the same time, adolescents without developmental features have much more of these connections. They have a higher index of computer addiction, meaning they may be more engaged in online communication and generally spend more time on the computer.