iMedPub Journals http://www.imedpub.com 2017 Vol. 1 No. 1: 1 1 © Under License of Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License | This article is available in: http://www.imedpub.com/psychology-and-brain-studies/ Case Report Journal of Psychology and Brain Studies Steliana Rizeanu and Eugen Vezeteu Department of Psychology, Hyperion University Of Bucharest, Romania Corresponding author: Steliana Rizeanu  stelianarizeanu@yahoo.com Department of Psychology, Hyperion University Of Bucharest, Romania. Tel: 00 (40) 744 757 211 Citaion: Rizeanu S, Vezeteu E. Incidence of Problem Gambling in Romania Brief Report. J Psychol Brain Stud. 2017, 1:1. Introducion Even though the term ”pathological gambling” was introduced in 1980 in the Diagnosic and Staisical Manual of Mental Disorders [1] as an “Impulse Control Disorder” based on the experience of Dr. Robert Cluster and other mental care professionals. The next pathological gambling classiicaion was made in 2000 in the Diagnosic and Staisical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Ediion [2] as part of “Impulse-Control Disorders Not Elsewhere Classiied”, where was emphasized the common elements with substance addicion. In the most recent ediion of the Diagnosic and Staisical Manual of Mental Disorders [3] the pathological gambling was included in the chapter “Non-Substance-Related Disorder” and classiied as “Gambling Disorder.” Another new element was provided by the ime period on which an individual displays the symptoms speciic to the gambling disorder, i.e. 12 months, as deined in the Diagnosic Criteria [3] for gambling disorders: “Persistent and recurrent problemaic gambling behaviors leading to clinically signiicant impairment or distress, as indicated by the individual exhibiing four (or more) of the following in a 12-month period”. Furthermore, the severity level is established depending on the number of criteria endorsed: • Mild: 4-5 criteria met. • Moderate: 6-7 criteria met. • Severe: 8-9 criteria met. Moreover, the gambling disorder is associated to “some speciic medical diagnoses” and “high rates of co-morbidity with other mental disorders” [3]. Incidence of Problem Gambling in Romania Brief Report Received: February 06, 2017; Accepted: February 10, 2017; Published: February 17, 2017 Abstract In the context of the most recent survey conducted by the market research company GfK Romania on the incidence of problem gaming in Romania, this paper aims at revealing the importance of the prevenion programs for gambling disorders based on the cogniive-behavioral approach. The survey named “Bets and Gambling in Romania” was conducted for the “ROMSLOT- Slot Organizers’ Associaion” and for “Romanian Bookmakers”. The data were collected by means of an interview taken from 988 individuals (N=988) during the period July 25-August 16, 2016, on a naional representaive sample +18, with a sampling error of ± 3%. The results of that survey showed that the incidence of pathological gamblers in Romania with over 18 years of age is 0.6%, namely 98,000 individuals. Even if the survey carried out by GfK Romania showed that Romania is at the lower limit of the European average, the gambling disorders sill remain an important public health issue, associated with high rates of psychiatric co-morbidity. Consequently, in recent years has been developed a naional prevenion and treatment program for pathological gamblers and their family, named “Responsible Gambling Project”. In as far as, the gambling addicion involves more than the person concerned but frequently his enire family. Most likely, the prevenion programs development and the psychological intervenions may posiively inluence the problem behaviors resuling from compulsive gambling and related co-morbidiies. Responsible gambling represents an informed choice on the probability of winning, a form of entertainment and relaxaion in low-risk situaions; it promotes a gambler’s state of well-being. Keywords: Gambling disorders; Incidence; Prevenion; Psychological intervenion