Research report Problem gambling in bipolar disorder: Results from the Canadian Community Health Survey Roger S. McIntyre a,b,c, ⁎ , Susan L. McElroy d , Jakub Z. Konarski c,e , Joanna K. Soczynska c,e , Kathryn Wilkins f , Sidney H. Kennedy a,c,e a Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada b Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada c Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada d Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA e Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada f Health Statistics Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada Received 5 July 2006; received in revised form 22 September 2006; accepted 5 December 2006 Abstract Objective: This investigation was undertaken to explore the prevalence and associated features of problem gambling amongst individuals with bipolar I disorder. Methods: The data for this analysis were procured from the Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health and Well-being (CCHS 1.2) conducted by Statistics Canada. Individuals screening positive for a lifetime (World Mental Health- Composite International Diagnostic Interview) WMH-CIDI-defined manic episode (i.e. bipolar I disorder) or depressive episode (i.e. major depressive disorder) and current (i.e. past 12-month) problem gambling were compared to the general population without these disorders. Past year problem gambling was operationalized with the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI). Results: The sample consisted of 36,984 individuals (≥ 15 years old); the weighted prevalence of problem gambling was significantly higher (11.6%) amongst the population with bipolar disorder as compared to the general population (3.8%, p b 0.001) and those with major depressive disorder (4.9%, p b 0.01). Compared to those without bipolar disorder, the odds of problem gambling for bipolar individuals were over twice as high (OR = 2.3; 95% CI 1.4–3.9), even when controlling for potential confounders. Males also had higher odds of problem gambling (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.4–2.2), as did individuals without post- secondary education (OR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.1–1.9). Persons who were married/cohabiting had lowered odds of problem gambling, compared with those who were unmarried (OR = 0.6; 95% CI 0.5–0.8). Comorbid alcohol dependence (OR = 3.0; 95% CI 2.1–4.5) and illicit drug dependence (OR = 2.8; 95% CI 1.1–6.9) each conferred an increased risk for problem gambling. Physical activity level (moderate to active) was associated with a decreased risk for problem gambling (OR = 0.7; 95% CI 0.6–0.9). Conclusions: Individuals with bipolar I disorder are differentially affected by problem gambling. Opportunistic screening for problem gambling is warranted, particularly in persons with comorbid alcohol or substance dependence. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Bipolar disorder; Major depressive disorder; Problem gambling; Pathological gambling; Substance dependence; Alcohol dependence Journal of Affective Disorders xx (2007) xxx – xxx + MODEL JAD-03523; No of Pages 8 www.elsevier.com/locate/jad ⁎ Corresponding author. Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Head, Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, 399 Bathurst Street — Toronto, ON, Canada M5T 2S8. Tel.: +1 416 603 5279; fax: +1 416 603 5368. E-mail address: roger.mcintyre@uhn.on.ca (R.S. McIntyre). 0165-0327/$ - see front matter © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2006.12.005 ARTICLE IN PRESS Please cite this article as: McIntyre, R.S. et al. Problem gambling in bipolar disorder: Results from the Canadian Community Health Survey. J. Affect. Disord. (2007), doi:10.1016/j.jad.2006.12.005