Despite the potential consequences of gambling during adolescence, the factors involved in the initiation of this behavior are relatively understudied. Using a longitudinal design, the present study analyzed the contribution of parental and peer norms to adolescent gambling initiation. A sample of 440 adolescent non-gamblers (50.9% males, mean_age = 14.85 [standard deviation = 1.41]) completed a baseline survey and a 1-year follow-up questionnaire. The baseline survey included assessments of perceived descriptive and injunctive norms from parents and peers, perceived parent and peer gambling severity, and susceptibility to peer pressure. A multivariate hierarchical logistic regression model was used to assess the contribution of baseline measures to adolescent gambling initiation at follow-up. Of the 440 non-gamblers assessed at baseline, 160 (36.4%) reported initiating gambling at follow-up. All the peer factors were prospectively associated with gambling initiation, while only the perceived injunctive norms of parents were associated with initiation. Higher susceptibility to peer pressure, perceived gambling by peers, and peer and parental approval of gambling at baseline were associated with higher odds of adolescent gambling initiation at follow-up. In contrast, the likelihood of gambling initiation among adolescents decreased as the perception of peer gambling severity increased. The identification of parental and peer factors associated with adolescent gambling initiation may provide support for relevant preventative interventions aimed at avoiding or delaying gambling initiation among adolescents. Specifically, to reduce the initiation of gambling, preventative programs should focus on helping adolescents to find strategies for resisting peer influences.

Background: The socio-health emergency caused by COVID-19 may have a significant psychological impact on the population. For this reason, it is necessary to identify especially vulnerable social groups and protective factors that may reduce this impact, which was the objective of this study. Methods: Using snowball sampling approach, 1,596 people residing in Spain during the lockdown answered an online questionnaire that included information on sociodemographic variables, symptoms, and contact with the disease, risk perception, precautionary measures to prevent infection and coping strategies during lockdown. Psychological impact was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and mental health status with the Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Simple linear regression models were performed to analyze the associations between the study variables and the psychological impact of the pandemic and the mental health of the participants. Results: Of all respondents, 24.7% reported a moderate or severe psychological impact, and 48.8% showed mental health problems. Women, students and the population with a lower level of economic income, in addition to those having less available space per person in the household presented a more significant psychological impact and worse mental health. Living with someone from the highrisk vulnerable group, and anticipating the adverse economic effects of social-health crisis raised the emotional distress and psychological morbidity. Precautionary measures to prevent infection did not present a connection to the psychological impact of the pandemic; however, several coping strategies did help to reduce it. Conclusions: These findings outline the existence of especially vulnerable social groups to the impact of the pandemic, and suggest lines of action that help reduce the psychosocial consequences of COVID-19.

The main objective of the growing gambling advertising offer is to attract new gamblers to this market and adolescents are an especially vulnerable group to this call. Thus, research should study the process through which advertising influences adolescent gambling behaviour. In a sample of 1,174 adolescents aged 12 to 20 years, we hypothesized a model in which exposure to gambling advertising influences gambling frequency promoting favourable attitudes and normalizing gambling as a socially acceptable behaviour. The majority of the effect of exposure to gambling advertising was mediated by attitudes and descriptive norms. In this model, exposure to gambling advertising also had a direct effect on gambling frequency, which, moreover, mediated its impact on problem gambling. Likewise, gambling frequency was associated with problem gambling. Subsequently, the moderating effect of perceived family support was examined. In adolescents with high family support, exposure to gambling advertising did not promote favourable attitudes towards gambling and gambling frequency had less effect on problem gambling. Preventive strategies with recommendations for regulators, gambling operators, health professionals and families are proposed. Finally, some limitations of this study, which could be improved in future research, are outlined.

Health measures instantiated to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have imposed significant constraints for the population and impacted on drinking habits and mental health. This study longitudinally compared changes in alcohol consumption before and after the COVID-19 outbreak and the impact of sociodemographic and mental health variables on such changes among a community sample of young adults. Data were collected in the context of a larger, ongoing longitudinal study. The sample consisted of 305 young adults from Spain aged between 18 and 26 years (mean age = 21.27, (SD = 2.21), female = 53.4%; college students = 61.6%) who completed first (November-2019 and February-2020; i.e., before the outbreak of COVID-19) and second follow-up questionnaires (March 2021, a year after the COVID-19 outbreak). Alcohol use (quantity and drinking frequency), depression and anxiety symptoms were measured. Quantity and frequency of alcohol use decreased from the pre- to post-COVID-19 period. A decrease in drinking frequency was observed among college students, but not in noncollege peers. Although we found no effect of pre-COVID-19 anxiety on alcohol use changes, those with more depressive symptoms at the pre-COVID assessment were more resistant to decreasing their drinking quantity and frequency after the COVID-19 outbreak. This information will be of value when designing interventions aimed at reducing harmful alcohol use and highlights the role of mental health status when identifying high risk populations of young-adults during this, and future, public health crises.