La dipendenza da Gioco d’azzardo alla luce dei nuovi criteri diagnostici: inquadramento clinico, caratteristiche di personalità e comportamentali e intervento secondo l’orientamento sistemico-relazionale

Abstract

This work intend to offer an overview about Gambling Addiction. In recent years the interest for gambling and related issues has increased progressively for several reasons. In this regard, the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, has introduced an important innovation, with the extension of the concepts of abuse and addiction: these concepts not are longer solely related to a use and abuse of a substance. If before, we were talking about of Pathological Gambling, classified as an impulse control disorder, today we talk about "Gambling Disorder", situated in the category "addiction disorders and substance-related".

Starting from a reflection about this important change, the author propose a preliminary exploration of the existing literature about this specific addiction. The aim of this work is to expose the behavioral and relational mechanisms of the etiology and maintenance of gambling disorder. It also intend to deepen the principal implications in the gambler’s family environment. So, there are therefore analyzed some aspects of the systemic relational approach in the treatment of this specific addiction disorder. This particular approach, infact, differently from other theorical approaches, such as the cognitive one, actively involve the whole system of player’s belonging.