El juego patológico, las conductas ilegales y la potencialidad preventiva del servicio de ayuda telefónica en Argentina / [Pathological gambling, illegal behavior and the preventive potentiality of a helpline in Argentina].

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The evolution of Pathological Gambling has some important landmarks such as the age of onset, time elapse between onset and the perception of gambling consequences and their severity. These events encourage the exploration of the preventive potential of a helpline service for gamblers, thus the contact with this service might be the beginning of opportune intervention. OBJECTIVES: To describe and to compare the course and complications due to gambling reported by two Argentineans gambler population with access to different services a sample of participants of a self-help group; and a sample of helpline clients. METHOD: A total of 268 gamblers were surveyed using a structured interview that included the Brief Questionnaire of Pathological Gambling. The sample was composed by 174 subjects attending self-help groups (Anonymous Gamblers); and 94 consecutive callers to a gambling helpline in Argentina. RESULTS: 76