Sexuality and marital life in pathological gambling.
Trudel, Gilles1, 2, Boyer, Richard2, Anderson, Anic *,1, 2, Villeneuve, Vanessa*,1, Harvey, Pascale1, Poirier-Arbour, Alisson1, 1 Université du Québec à Montréal, Department of psychology, Box Office 8888, Montreal, Quebec, Canada2 Centre de recherche Fernand Séguin, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
ABSTRACT- Various studies indicate a relation between marital and sexual factors and various psychopathologies. Though the direction of this relation is not always clear, several authors think nevertheless that this interaction is important and perhaps a factor to be considered in the evaluation and the treatment of these psychopathologies. It was shown in particular that a marital intervention can prove very useful in treatment and relapse prevention of several psychological problems such as the depression, anxious disorders and alcoholism, a problem frequently associated to gambling. Consequently, the establishment of a relation between marital and sexual life and pathological gambling would allow to evaluate the relevance of marital intervention in order to help the pathological gamblers. However, no research until now seems to study in depth the relation between marital and sexual functioning on the one hand and the pathological gambling on the other hand. It is the main goal of the present research program entitled "Marital life and pathological gambling" to study marital and sexual functioning of 120 couples meeting the following criterias: between the age of 20 and 75 years, living together for at least one year or if the couple is separated, separation must be related to gambling. Several questionnaires making it possible to study marital and sexual functioning are used. Workshops of one day or a weekend on marital and sexual life are offered to participants as a reinforcer for their participation to the research. The objective of these workshops is to acquire tools to learn with better communication, management of conflicts and improve sexual functioning and satisfaction. Preliminary results of this research will be presented.
Key words: marital life, sexual life, pathological gambling, psychopathology