The WAGER, Vol. 1(5) – Comparing DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling and substance dependence - BASIS (The Brief Addiction Science Information Source)

The following items represent the current American Psychiatric Association (A.P.A.) criteria for determining a diagnosis of pathological gambling or substance dependence. Since 1980, the A.P.A. has considered pathological gambling to be an impulse-control disorder. However, in spite of similarities, the A.P.A. categorizes substance dependence as a substance-related disorder. It is interesting to consider the similarities and differences between these sets of criteria given the psychological, biological and social factors that contribute to these two disorders.

Source: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, Fourth Edition. (1994). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.

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