Cutting the odds: Understanding non-suicidal self-injury patterns among people gambling online

Magda Losaberidze; Róbert Urbán; Yanisha Soborun; Melinda Reinhardt; Gyöngyi Kökönyei; Ornella Corazza; Mark D Griffiths; Rosalind Baker-Frampton; Gemma Mestre-Bach; Susana Jiménez-Murcia; Marc N Potenza; Zsolt Demetrovics; Andrea Czakó

doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152686

Cutting the odds: Understanding non-suicidal self-injury patterns among people gambling online

Magda Losaberidze
, Róbert Urbán
, Yanisha Soborun
, Melinda Reinhardt
, Gyöngyi Kökönyei
, Ornella Corazza
, Mark D Griffiths
, Rosalind Baker-Frampton
, Gemma Mestre-Bach
, Susana Jiménez-Murcia
, Marc N Potenza
, Zsolt Demetrovics
, Andrea Czakó

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and gambling are considered notable public health challenges, each linked to emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and heightened mental health risks. Although examined separately, their co-occurrence may reflect overlapping vulnerabilities. The present study examined the prevalence, correlates, and predictors of NSSI among ndividuals who gamble online and identified distinct behavioral subgroups using latent class analysis.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals with past-year online gambling (N = 1047; 50% males; mean age = 39.60 years [SD = 12.46]). Measures included psychometric scales assessing problem-gambling severity, NSSI, impulsivity, sleep difficulties, and psychological distress. Multinomial logistic regressions tested associations between gambling severity and NSSI, and latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify NSSI subgroups. Hierarchical multinomial regressions assessed demographic, gambling-related, and psychological predictors of class membership.

RESULTS: Lifetime NSSI was reported by 64% of participants, with higher odds among those with scores reflecting problem gambling. LCA identified three subgroups: low/no self-harming (61.6%), moderate/occasional self-harming (23.2%), and high/multi-method self-harming (15.2%), reflecting stepwise increases in frequency and method diversity. NSSI class membership was significantly associated with problem-gambling severity (χ 2[3] = 45.0, p < .001). Younger age, insomnia, impulsivity, and psychological distress predicted higher NSSI class membership, with insomnia and distress emerging as the strongest independent predictors.

CONCLUSION: NSSI is a prevalent and clinically significant correlate of online gambling, emerging even at lower levels of problem-gambling severity, underscoring the importance of integrating emotion regulation and distress-focused support into interventions targeting problem gambling. The study's findings deepen the understanding of psychological pathways linking gambling and self-injury among adults.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	152686
Journal	Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume	147
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152686
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 27 Feb 2026
Externally published	Yes

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10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152686

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Losaberidze, M., Urbán, R., Soborun, Y., Reinhardt, M., Kökönyei, G., Corazza, O., Griffiths, M. D., Baker-Frampton, R., Mestre-Bach, G., Jiménez-Murcia, S., Potenza, M. N., Demetrovics, Z., & Czakó, A. (2026). Cutting the odds: Understanding non-suicidal self-injury patterns among people gambling online. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 147, 152686. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152686

@article{ef6398eec03e43f185350b2aff18fa12,

title = "Cutting the odds: Understanding non-suicidal self-injury patterns among people gambling online",

abstract = "BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and gambling are considered notable public health challenges, each linked to emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and heightened mental health risks. Although examined separately, their co-occurrence may reflect overlapping vulnerabilities. The present study examined the prevalence, correlates, and predictors of NSSI among ndividuals who gamble online and identified distinct behavioral subgroups using latent class analysis.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals with past-year online gambling (N = 1047; 50\% males; mean age = 39.60 years [SD = 12.46]). Measures included psychometric scales assessing problem-gambling severity, NSSI, impulsivity, sleep difficulties, and psychological distress. Multinomial logistic regressions tested associations between gambling severity and NSSI, and latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify NSSI subgroups. Hierarchical multinomial regressions assessed demographic, gambling-related, and psychological predictors of class membership.RESULTS: Lifetime NSSI was reported by 64\% of participants, with higher odds among those with scores reflecting problem gambling. LCA identified three subgroups: low/no self-harming (61.6\%), moderate/occasional self-harming (23.2\%), and high/multi-method self-harming (15.2\%), reflecting stepwise increases in frequency and method diversity. NSSI class membership was significantly associated with problem-gambling severity (χ 2[3] = 45.0, p < .001). Younger age, insomnia, impulsivity, and psychological distress predicted higher NSSI class membership, with insomnia and distress emerging as the strongest independent predictors. CONCLUSION: NSSI is a prevalent and clinically significant correlate of online gambling, emerging even at lower levels of problem-gambling severity, underscoring the importance of integrating emotion regulation and distress-focused support into interventions targeting problem gambling. The study's findings deepen the understanding of psychological pathways linking gambling and self-injury among adults.",

author = "Magda Losaberidze and R{\'o}bert Urb{\'a}n and Yanisha Soborun and Melinda Reinhardt and Gy{\"o}ngyi K{\"o}k{\"o}nyei and Ornella Corazza and Griffiths, \{Mark D\} and Rosalind Baker-Frampton and Gemma Mestre-Bach and Susana Jim{\'e}nez-Murcia and Potenza, \{Marc N\} and Zsolt Demetrovics and Andrea Czak{\'o}",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

day = "27",

doi = "10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152686",

language = "English",

volume = "147",

pages = "152686",

journal = "Comprehensive Psychiatry",

issn = "0010-440X",

publisher = "W.B. Saunders",

}

Losaberidze, M, Urbán, R, Soborun, Y, Reinhardt, M, Kökönyei, G, Corazza, O, Griffiths, MD, Baker-Frampton, R, Mestre-Bach, G, Jiménez-Murcia, S, Potenza, MN, Demetrovics, Z & Czakó, A 2026, 'Cutting the odds: Understanding non-suicidal self-injury patterns among people gambling online', Comprehensive Psychiatry, vol. 147, pp. 152686. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152686

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cutting the odds

T2 - Understanding non-suicidal self-injury patterns among people gambling online

AU - Losaberidze, Magda

AU - Urbán, Róbert

AU - Soborun, Yanisha

AU - Reinhardt, Melinda

AU - Kökönyei, Gyöngyi

AU - Corazza, Ornella

AU - Griffiths, Mark D

AU - Baker-Frampton, Rosalind

AU - Mestre-Bach, Gemma

AU - Jiménez-Murcia, Susana

AU - Potenza, Marc N

AU - Demetrovics, Zsolt

AU - Czakó, Andrea

PY - 2026/2/27

Y1 - 2026/2/27

N2 - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and gambling are considered notable public health challenges, each linked to emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and heightened mental health risks. Although examined separately, their co-occurrence may reflect overlapping vulnerabilities. The present study examined the prevalence, correlates, and predictors of NSSI among ndividuals who gamble online and identified distinct behavioral subgroups using latent class analysis.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals with past-year online gambling (N = 1047; 50% males; mean age = 39.60 years [SD = 12.46]). Measures included psychometric scales assessing problem-gambling severity, NSSI, impulsivity, sleep difficulties, and psychological distress. Multinomial logistic regressions tested associations between gambling severity and NSSI, and latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify NSSI subgroups. Hierarchical multinomial regressions assessed demographic, gambling-related, and psychological predictors of class membership.RESULTS: Lifetime NSSI was reported by 64% of participants, with higher odds among those with scores reflecting problem gambling. LCA identified three subgroups: low/no self-harming (61.6%), moderate/occasional self-harming (23.2%), and high/multi-method self-harming (15.2%), reflecting stepwise increases in frequency and method diversity. NSSI class membership was significantly associated with problem-gambling severity (χ 2[3] = 45.0, p < .001). Younger age, insomnia, impulsivity, and psychological distress predicted higher NSSI class membership, with insomnia and distress emerging as the strongest independent predictors. CONCLUSION: NSSI is a prevalent and clinically significant correlate of online gambling, emerging even at lower levels of problem-gambling severity, underscoring the importance of integrating emotion regulation and distress-focused support into interventions targeting problem gambling. The study's findings deepen the understanding of psychological pathways linking gambling and self-injury among adults.

AB - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and gambling are considered notable public health challenges, each linked to emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and heightened mental health risks. Although examined separately, their co-occurrence may reflect overlapping vulnerabilities. The present study examined the prevalence, correlates, and predictors of NSSI among ndividuals who gamble online and identified distinct behavioral subgroups using latent class analysis.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals with past-year online gambling (N = 1047; 50% males; mean age = 39.60 years [SD = 12.46]). Measures included psychometric scales assessing problem-gambling severity, NSSI, impulsivity, sleep difficulties, and psychological distress. Multinomial logistic regressions tested associations between gambling severity and NSSI, and latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify NSSI subgroups. Hierarchical multinomial regressions assessed demographic, gambling-related, and psychological predictors of class membership.RESULTS: Lifetime NSSI was reported by 64% of participants, with higher odds among those with scores reflecting problem gambling. LCA identified three subgroups: low/no self-harming (61.6%), moderate/occasional self-harming (23.2%), and high/multi-method self-harming (15.2%), reflecting stepwise increases in frequency and method diversity. NSSI class membership was significantly associated with problem-gambling severity (χ 2[3] = 45.0, p < .001). Younger age, insomnia, impulsivity, and psychological distress predicted higher NSSI class membership, with insomnia and distress emerging as the strongest independent predictors. CONCLUSION: NSSI is a prevalent and clinically significant correlate of online gambling, emerging even at lower levels of problem-gambling severity, underscoring the importance of integrating emotion regulation and distress-focused support into interventions targeting problem gambling. The study's findings deepen the understanding of psychological pathways linking gambling and self-injury among adults.

U2 - 10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152686

DO - 10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152686

M3 - Article

C2 - 41795379

SN - 0010-440X

VL - 147

SP - 152686

JO - Comprehensive Psychiatry

JF - Comprehensive Psychiatry

ER -

Cutting the odds: Understanding non-suicidal self-injury patterns among people gambling online

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