Background and Aims: Few meta‐analyses have been conducted to pool the most constant risk factors for problem gambling. The present meta‐analysis summarizes effect sizes of the most frequently assessed problem gambling risk factors, ranks them according to effect size strength and identifies any differences in effects across genders. Method: A random‐effects meta‐analysis was conducted on jurisdiction‐wide gambling prevalence surveys on the general adult population published until March 2019. One hundred and four studies were eligible for meta‐analysis. The number of participants varied depending on the risk factor analyzed, and ranged from 5327 to 273 946 (52% female). Weighted mean odds ratios were calculated for 57 risk factors (socio‐demographic, psychosocial, gambling activity and substance use correlates), allowing them to be ranked from largest to smallest with regard to their association with problem gambling. Results: The highest odds ratio (OR) was for internet gambling [OR = 7.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.24, 10.99, P < 0.000] and the lowest was for employment status (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.87, 1.22, P = 0.718). The largest effect sizes were generally in the gambling activity category and the smallest were in the socio‐demographic category. No differences were found across genders for age‐associated risk. Conclusions: A meta‐analysis of 104 studies of gambling prevalence indicated that the most frequently assessed problem gambling risk factors with the highest effect sizes are associated with continuous‐play format gambling products.

The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness of brief interventions (BIs) as part of the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model for reducing the nonmedical use of psychoactive substances.

A common public health initiative in many jurisdictions is provision of advice to people to limit gambling to reduce the risk of gambling-related harm. The purpose of this study is to use consistent methodology with existing population-based prevalence surveys of gambling and related harms from different countries to identify quantitative limits for lower risk gambling. Risk curve analyses were conducted with eleven high quality data sets from eight Western countries. Gambling indicators were monthly expenditure, percentage of income spent on gambling, monthly frequency, and number of different types of gambling. Harm indicators included financial, emotional, health, and relationship impacts. Contributing data sets produced limit ranges for each gambling indicator and each harm indicator, which were compared. Gender differences in limit ranges were minor. Modal analysis, an assessment of the mean of the upper and lower range limits, indicated that the risk of harm increases if an individual gambles at these levels or greater: $60 to $120 CAD monthly, five to eight times monthly, spends more than 1 to 3% of gross monthly income or plays three to four different gambling types. This study provides further evidence that lower-risk gambling guidelines can be based upon empirically derived limits.

Until now, there has been no evidence-based, specific advice for people who gamble who want to reduce their risk of experiencing gambling harms. This paper presents the results from the first large-scale, comprehensive, international project to develop lower-risk gambling guidelines. Specifically, we calculated relative risk estimates to determine risk of harm across the range of possible limits for gambling frequency, expenditure, and number of types of gambling engaged in; conducted an online survey (n = 4583) of people who gamble to assess whether they understood and found credible the proposed quantitative limits; conducted a series of interviews and focus groups with people who gamble to assess self-control strategies and reactions to proposed quantitative limits; conducted a meta-analysis of problem gambling risk factors in the general population; and consulted with a pan-Canadian, multi-sectoral committee of stakeholders. Project outcomes were examined and deliberated by a working group of scientists who decided upon a set of recommendations for lower-risk gambling. This paper presents these recommendations.

As nonmedical cannabis is now legal in Canada, it is important to understand the complex relationship between perceptions of risk, problematic cannabis use and mental health among young adults. Objectives: To assess whether perceptions of risk associated with cannabis relates to cannabis use among young adults. Moreover, we explored whether current symptoms of anxiety were also related to problematic use, and the role of gender in this relationship. Methods: Self-report surveys were completed by 1043 Carleton University students. Students completed several questionnaires assessing perceptions of risk associated with cannabis use, and cannabis use and anxiety symptoms. Results: Males were significantly more likely to rate some of the harms associated with cannabis use as less risky, and reported higher rates of cannabis use. We also found that problematic cannabis use was positively related to anxiety symptoms, and this relationship was moderated by gender such that greater cannabis use related to higher anxiety scores more strongly among females. Conclusions: Our study yields valuable information regarding how Canadian youth perceive the risks associated with cannabis use; critically, males are more likely to perceive minimal risk with use and are also more likely to use problematically. By contrast, cannabis use is more strongly related to anxiety among females. These results have important implications for education and outreach campaigns associated with the legalization of cannabis and cannabis products in Canada. Comme le cannabis non médical est maintenant légal au Canada, il est important de comprendre la relation complexe entre les perceptions du risque, la consommation problématique de cannabis et la santé mentale des jeunes adultes. Objectifs: Évaluer si les perceptions de risque associé au cannabis sont liées à la consommation de cannabis chez les jeunes adultes. De plus, nous avons examiné si les symptômes d’anxiété actuels étaient également liés à une utilisation problématique et le rôle du genre dans cette relation. Méthodes: Des sondages d’auto-évaluation ont été effectués par 1 043 étudiants de l’Université de Carleton. Les élèves ont rempli plusieurs questionnaires évaluant les perceptions du risque associé à la consommation de cannabis, à la consommation de cannabis et aux symptômes d’anxiété. Résultats: Les hommes étaient beaucoup plus susceptibles de juger certains risques liés à la consommation de cannabis comme moins dangereux et ont signalé des taux de consommation de cannabis plus élevés. Nous avons également constaté que la consommation problématique de cannabis était positivement liée aux symptômes d’anxiété, cette relation étant modérée en fonction du sexe, de sorte qu’une plus grande consommation de cannabis était associée à des scores d’anxiété plus élevés chez les femmes. Conclusions: Notre étude fournit des informations précieuses sur la manière dont les jeunes Canadiens perçoivent les risques associés à la consommation de cannabis. De manière critique, les hommes sont plus susceptibles de percevoir un risque minimal avec l’utilisation et sont également plus susceptibles de l’utiliser de manière problématique. En revanche, la consommation de cannabis est davantage liée à l’anxiété chez les femmes. Ces résultats ont des implications importantes pour les campagnes d’éducation et de sensibilisation associées à la légalisation du cannabis et des produits à base de cannabis au Canada.