Amanda D L Roberts

Verified

Amanda verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

Learn more

Verified

Amanda verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

Learn more

• PhD Psychology
• Professor (Full) at University of Lincoln

Background and AimsThe relationship between violence and problem gambling in general population samples is under-researched and requires further attention to inform treatment and prevention efforts. We investigated the relationship between gambling problems and violence among men and sought to determine if the link can be accounted for by mental di...

Guidelines focus on the individual, while industry escapes scrutiny.

Introduction Understanding the correlates of problematic gambling among emerging adult university students is crucial for developing effective approaches to minimise harm. Methods This cross-sectional survey study reports on 397 18–25 year old emerging adults studying at Irish universities who completed an online survey about problematic gambling...

Gordon Moody opened a women’s residential treatment facility for harmful gambling in the UK in 2021, responding to a growing need for residential treatment for women experiencing gambling harm. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the programme. 68 women who attended residential treatment between November 2021 - November 2023 were evaluated fo...

We are carrying out the first ever psychological autopsy study in the UK to ascertain the socioecological antecedents of gambling-related suicide. Our research will aid better understanding of the mechanistic relationship between gambling and suicide, how individuals experience gambling-related suicidality, and the role of contributory and mitigati...

Objectives Gambling is associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. We explored the intersection of gambling across all risk levels of harm with smoking and alcohol use among adults in Great Britain. Design A nationally representative cross-sectional survey in October 2022. Setting Great Britain. Participants A weighted total of 23...

Objectives Gambling is often associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. This study aimed to explore the intersection of gambling across all risk levels harm with smoking and alcohol use among adults in Great Britain. Design A nationally representative cross-sectional survey in October 2022. Setting Great Britain. Participants A w...

Background: Disordered gambling is a public health problem with interconnections with health and social inequality, and adverse impacts on physical and mental health. Mapping technologies have been used to explore gambling in the UK, though most were based in urban locations. Methods: We used routine data sources and geospatial mapping software...

Homelessness and rough sleeping are currently on the rise in England. Literature evidences an empirical relationship between substance use disorders and offending behavior within homelessness. This qualitative study explores this relationship from the perspective of those currently experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders, with an offe...

Introduction: Data from several areas of public health (e.g., harmful alcohol and tobacco) are consistent with the assertion that children's exposure to advertising strategies increases intention to consume such products. Most studies have measured self-rated impact of gambling advertising using questionnaires. Given that gambling advertisements c...

Background: There is evidence that prisoners have the highest rate of problem gambling in any population, but little is known about the nature of in-prison gambling, the motives for it or how it relates to prior gambling behaviour. Aims: To investigate the prevalence and type of gambling prior to prison and the prevalence, type, and reasons for...

Background and aims: New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) have affected prison populations, threatening the safety of prisoners and staff. We investigated the prevalence of substance use within a prison in the United Kingdom, focusing on NPS and its links with violence and impulsivity. Method: Cross-sectional questionnaire of 158 male category C priso...

Numbers of adolescents experiencing gambling related harm are increasing. Teachers spend a significant amount of time with students and their attitudes can make an impact on engagement in high-risk behavior. However, teachers’ awareness of, and attitudes towards adolescent gambling are under-researched; this study aimed to address this gap. 157 UK...

A small body of research has shown that gambling problems are elevated among homeless populations and suggests the complexity of relationships between homeless-ness, gambling and a broad range of other social and addiction issues. This research explored patterns of gambling and coexisting issues at the level of the individuals' experiences. We desc...

The Internet has increased at an exponential rate and for some people, can lead to problematic use. This review gives an overview of clinical services for problematic internet usage (PIU) including patient characteristics, available treatment, outcomes, and future clinical and research priorities. Psychological and physiological comorbidities are h...

A self-help workbook for people with a gambling problem and their loved ones, featuring practical exercises and worksheets using CBT techniques.

Have you ever lied about your gambling habits to anyone, or tried to conceal the fact you've gambled? Have you ever bet more than you could afford to lose, or gone back the next day to try and win back the money you've lost? Your gambling may be becoming problematic and it's time to seek help. Breaking Free: How to Stop Gambling is a self-help work...

Introduction: The ambulance attendance for substance and/or alcohol use in a pandemic (ASAP) study explores incidents during the COVID-19 lockdown in the East Midlands region of the United Kingdom (23 March-4 July 2020). Method: Retrospective cross-sectional count per day of ambulance attendances from the East Midlands Ambulance Service Trust. A...

Background Disordered gambling can have serious negative consequences for the individual and those around them. Previous research has indicated that disordered gamblers are at an increased risk of suicidal thoughts, ideation and attempts. The current study sought to utilise data from a clinical sample to identify factors that are associated with pr...

Background Although evidence suggests substance and alcohol use may change during the Covid-19 pandemic there has been no full review of the evidence around this. Methods A systematic review of all available evidence was carried out to document and interpret the frequency and severity of alcohol and other substance use during the Covid-19 pandemic...

Gambling in the modern era is pervasive due to the variety of gambling opportunities including use of technology (such as online applications on smartphones). While many people gamble recreationally without undue negative impact, a sizable subset of individuals develop disordered gambling, associated with marked functional impairment including othe...

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK Government placed society on ‘lockdown’, altering the gambling landscape. This study sought to capture the immediate lockdown-enforced changes in gambling behaviour. UK adults ( n = 1028) were recruited online. Gambling behaviour (frequency and weekly expenditure, perceived increase/decrease) was measure...

The relationship between crime and gambling is well established; however, few studies have examined offending specifically to finance gambling within a UK gambling treatment-seeking population. A total of 1226 treatment-seeking gamblers completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Di...

Aims To synthesize evidence regarding gambling problems in primary care contexts as evidence suggests that problem gambling may be overrepresented. Objectives were to review all the available evidence regarding the frequency and implications of gambling problems in primary care. The latter were operationalized by covariates relating to physical and...

To combat the spread of COVID-19, the UK Government implemented a range of “lockdown” measures. Lockdown has necessarily changed the gambling habits of gamblers in the UK, and the impact of these measures on the mental health of gamblers is unknown. To understand the impact of lockdown on gamblers, in April 2020, after ~6 weeks of lockdown, partici...

The original version of this article contained errors in Table 1. The numbers (N) and percentages (%) in the 'completed treatment' column were incorrect. It is now corrected with this erratum.

Purpose Social impact bonds (SIBs) have become a favoured way to fund public services, including housing, prison and homelessness projects, in an era of austerity. In a growing critical literature on SIBs, a largely absent voice is that of the link worker. This paper aims to focus on the views of link workers in a SIB funded project which works wit...

Women are participating in gambling at levels approaching those of men, and although levels of disordered gambling remain lower in women than in men, significant numbers are affected. Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is a mainstay of help to problem gamblers in many countries. A scoping review was conducted which specifically addressed the experiences of wo...

Purpose Staff who work with vulnerable people with multiple needs are known to experience high levels of stress and burnout, as well as high levels of job satisfaction. This paper aims to explore the experiences of staff working in a project with individuals experiencing long-term homelessness in Lincolnshire. Design/methodology/approach An evalua...

Within the cohort of individuals who seek treatment for disordered gambling, over half fail to complete treatment. The current study sought to identify predictors of treatment dropout in a sample of gamblers attending a residential treatment facility for disordered gamblers in the UK and to report differences in voluntary and enforced dropout. Data...

The co-occurrence of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and gambling disorder is an emerging area of research but no studies, as yet, have examined these within a gambling treatment-seeking population from the UK. In a sample of 204 patients, the study utilised routine clinical data and the Jellinek–Inventory for assessing Partner Violence (J-IPV) to...

Background: Previous research has indicated that disordered gamblers display deficits in impulsivity and risky decision-making, compared to healthy control groups. However, disordered gamblers are not a homogenous group, and differences in performance on neurocognitive tasks may be related to the form of gambling in which an individual chooses to e...

Background: Gambling is a behaviour engaged in by millions of people worldwide; for some, gambling can become a severely maladaptive behaviour, and previous research has identified a wide range of psychosocial risk factors that can be considered important for the development and maintenance of disordered gambling. Although risk factors have been i...

The paper describes a treatment pilot for gambling and compulsive addiction within an NHS problem gambling clinic. The pilot study used a brief relational psychodynamic treatment protocol specifically designed to meet the needs of a group of patients who had not responded to CBT and who had other addictions or co-morbidities. Seventy two (n= 72) pa...

Background: Age of onset is an important factor in the development and trajectory of psychiatric disorders; however, little is known regarding the age of onset in relation to disordered gambling in treatment seeking samples in the UK. Utilising a large residential treatment seeking gambler cohort, the current study examined the relationship between...

Despite the increasing number of gamblers in the UK and the overuse of NHS services for associated physical and mental health harms, external agency problem identification for problem gamblers is still very limited. As with alcohol and drug misuse, GPs can have a critical role in early detection of disordered gambling, and referral to enable early...

Background: Age of onset is an important factor in the development and trajectory of psychiatric disorders; however, little is known regarding the age of onset in relation to disordered gambling in treatment seeking samples in the UK. Utilising a large residential treatment seeking gambler cohort, the current study examined the relationship betwee...

Recent research suggests a high prevalence rate of Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) amongst the homeless population. Although, it is well-documented that autistic people experienced many barriers to accessing health services, little is known about their challenges in accessing homeless services. Thus, the present study aimed to measure prevalence o...

Background and aims Gambling is an activity that for some can become disordered, with severe negative consequences. Existing literature does little to inform us regarding changing gambling habits of treatment seeking gamblers; the current study sought to measure trends and patterns in UK treatment seeking gambler behaviour and demographics over a 1...

Problem gambling affects many people beyond the problem gambler themselves. Help-seeking is relatively rare among affected others, especially those in lower socio-economic communities. However, these affected others are sometimes in contact with other support agencies. The present research interviewed 10 people seeking support through a social agen...

A range of gamblers, from low-frequency social gamblers through to problem gamblers in treatment, participated in focus groups discussing the characteristics of Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs) that they found attractive. Analyses of the resulting transcripts resulted in two groups of EGM characteristics being identified as important, one group as...

OP-155 Gambling and violence in a nationally representative sample of UK men AMANDA DL ROBERTS*, RAEGAN MURPHY, STEPHEN SHARMAN *University of Lincoln, UK; E-Mail: aroberts@lincoln.ac.uk Gambling and violence in a nationally representative sample of UK men. The relationship between violence and problem gambling is under-researched and requires furt...

OP-167 Trends and Patterns in Treatment Seeking UK gamblers: 2000-2015 STEVE SHARMAN*, RAEGAN MURPHY, JOHN TURNER, AMANDA ROBERTS *University of East London, United Kingdom; University of Lincoln; E-Mail: ssharman@uel.ac.uk Background: Previous large scale surveys have enabled understanding of gambling trends at a population level, and allowed esti...

Trends and Patterns in Gambler Behaviour: 2000-2015

Pathways into gambling disorder

Predictors of Treatment completion in a sample of treatment seeking gamblers

Background and objectives: Links between intimate partner violence (IPV) and gambling problems are under researched in general population samples. Understanding these relationships will allow for improved identification and intervention. We investigated these relationships and sought to determine whether links were attenuated by axis I and II diso...

Detailed observational studies of undisturbed gambler behaviour in venues are rare, especially when the focus is on continuous gambling such as electronic gaming machines (EGMs). EGMs are the main source of harmful gambling in New Zealand and all EGMs in New Zealand now include a mandatory pop-up message feature. The present study reports on 48 hou...

Detailed observational studies of undisturbed gambler behaviour in venues are rare, especially when the focus is on continuous gambling such as electronic gaming machines (EGMs). EGMs are the main source of harmful gambling in New Zealand and all EGMs in New Zealand now include a mandatory pop-up message feature. The present study reports on 48 hou...

Gambling Disorders in Women: An International Female Perspective on Treatment and Research will provide professionals working in addictions and policy-making with much-needed knowledge about a seriously under-represented area, and about which many professionals feel they would like to know more. The book will also highlight different international...

Recent years have seen a substantial increase in the number of individuals engaging in offences relating to the online use of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), to the point that UK police forces have stated that they “cannot arrest their way out of the problem”. Current movements are shifting the focus towards primary and secondary prevent...

Life history theory provides a powerful set of interlocking models for explaining a range of behaviours. Human reproductive behaviour can also be usefully understood through the LH lens. Risk-taking in sexual behaviour is a reasonable proxy for a generalized shorter life history strategy even with noisy data. Risky behaviours can be expected to clu...

The findings highlight the need for Problem Gambling treatment services to undertake routine screening for alcohol, violence, IPV and traumatic life events (and routine screening for gambling problems in IPV services) and to tailor treatment for clients who present with such a cluster of issues.

To characterize e-cigarette use, users and effects in a sample of Electronic Cigarette Company (TECC) and Totally Wicked E-Liquid (TWEL) users. Online survey hosted at the University of East London with links from TECC/TWEL websites from September 2011 to May 2012. Online questionnaire. One thousand three hundred and forty-seven respondents from 33...

Previous studies have related mental disorder and antisocial personality disorder to criminal behaviour, but little is known about the associations with other personality disorders. The aim of this study was to examine independent associations between offending behaviour over the lifetime and personality disorder in a representative sample of male...

This cross-sectional study aimed to measure the discrepancy between actual and perceived IQ in a sample of adolescents with CFS compared to healthy controls. We hypothesized that adolescents with CFS and their parent would have higher expectations of the adolescent's intellectual ability than healthy adolescents and their parent. The sample was 28...

There is evidence that patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have mild hypocortisolism. The clinical significance of this is unclear. We aimed to determine whether hypocortisolism exerted any effect on the response of CFS to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). We measured 24-h urinary free cortisol (UFC) in 84 patients with Centers for Dise...

Most research into psychopathy among prisoners is based on selected samples. It remains unclear whether prevalences are lower among European populations. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of psychopathy, and the distribution and correlates of psychopathic traits in a representative national sample of prisoners. Psychopathy was measured usi...

There are no previous surveys of psychopathy and psychopathic traits in representative general population samples using standardized instruments. This study aimed to measure prevalence and correlates of psychopathic traits, based on a two-phase survey using the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV) in 638 individuals, 16-74 years, in h...

Adverse childhood experiences and childhood temperamental features are known to contribute to the development of personality disorder. The aim of this study was to examine associations between personality disorder, childhood temperament, adverse childhood experiences, and victimisation. The Prisoner Cohort Study was carried out as part of the dange...

There is evidence that patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have mild hypocortisolism. One theory about the aetiology of this hypocortisolism is that it occurs late in the course of CFS via factors such as inactivity, sleep disturbance, chronic stress and deconditioning. We aimed to determine whether therapy aimed at reversing these factors...

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is associated with hypocortisolism, but it is not yet clear the extent to which enhanced negative feedback may underlie this finding. We undertook a low-dose dexamethasone (0.5 mg) suppression test in 18 CFS patients and 20 matched, healthy controls. We measured salivary cortisol levels at 0800 h, 1200 h, 1600 h and 2...

There is debate about whether the psychopath's criminal behaviour is a consequence of abnormal personality traits or a symptom of psychopathy. The aim of this study was to examine independent associations between offending behaviour over the lifetime and psychopathy in a representative sample of male and female offenders. A two-stage survey was car...

Long-term institutional care in childhood is linked with behavioral and emotional problems and can negatively affect personality development. This study tested the hypotheses that institutional care constitutes a risk factor for adult personality psychopathology and that conduct disorder acts as a mediator to the institutional care effects, based o...

This study measured the prevalence of self-reported violence and associations with psychiatric morbidity in a national household population, based on a cross-sectional survey in 2000 of 8,397 respondents in Great Britain. Diagnoses were derived from computer-assisted interviews, with self-reported violent behavior over the previous 5 years. The 5-y...

It is unclear whether psychiatric morbidity contributes to the small proportion of the population responsible for a large percentage of antisocial behaviour, including violence. To measure associations between psychiatric morbidity and severity, chronicity and types of victims of violence in the national household population of Britain. Cross-secti...

Epidemiological data on personality disorders, comorbidity and associated use of services are essential for health service policy. To measure the prevalence and correlates of personality disorder in a representative community sample. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IVAxis II disorders was used to measure personality disorder in 626 person...

There is accumulating evidence of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis disturbances in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The salivary cortisol response to awakening has been described recently as a non-invasive test of the capacity of the HPA axis to respond to stress. The results of this test correlate closely with those of more invasive dynami...

In 3 experiments rats were preexposed to the landmarks that surround a Morris pool by being placed on a submerged platform within the pool. They were then required to escape from the pool by swimming to the platform, which was in a location that had not been used during preexposure. Preexposure facilitated subsequent escape from the pool, provided...

In 3 experiments rats were preexposed to the landmarks that surround a Morris pool by being placed on a submerged platform within the pool. They were then required to escape from the pool by swimming to the platform, which was in a location that had not been used during preexposure. Preexposure facilitated subsequent escape from the pool, provided...

Four experiments demonstrate that spatial blocking is governed by the same principles that govern blocking in Pavlovian conditioning. In the 2nd stage of each experiment, rats escaped from a Morris swimming pool by swimming to a submerged platform with a beacon attached to it. Test trials were then conducted in the absence of the platform and the b...

Four experiments demonstrate that spatial blocking is governed by the same principles that govern blocking in Pavlovian conditioning. In the 2nd stage of each experiment, rats escaped from a Morris swimming pool by swimming to a submerged platform with a beacon attached to it. Test trials were then conducted in the absence of the platform and the b...

Animals can find a hidden goal in several ways. They might use a cognitive map that encodes information about the geometric relationship between the goal and two or more landmarks. Alternatively, they might use a heading vector that specifies the direction and distance of the goal from a single landmark. Rats with damage to the hippocampus have dif...

In 5 experiments rats were required to escape from a pool of water by finding a submerged platform that varied in position from session to session. The platform was in a fixed direction; and at a fixed distance from a landmark that was located in the pool. Experiments 1–3 revealed that the landmark was used as a reference point for information abou...

In three experiments, rats in a swimming pool were trained to find a submerged platform with a beacon attached to it. For some rats this beacon unambiguously identified the location of the platform; for others the beacon was made ambiguous by placement of an identical beacon in a different part of the pool. Test trials, in the absence of the platfo...