Mental Health
Gambling disorder and mental health conditions co-occur at a high rates. Major depressive disorder affects nearly 30% of people with gambling disorder, anxiety disorders affect over 14%, and ADHD appears in roughly 9% of cases though clinical samples consistently show higher rates. The relationship runs in both directions: mental health struggles can drive someone toward gambling as an escape or source of stimulation, and the financial ruin, broken relationships, and shame that follow problem gambling deepen those same conditions. Treating one without addressing the other rarely holds.
