Vol. 28 No. 1 (2025)
Articles

A FUNCTIONAL MODEL OF PATHOLOGICAL GAMBLING DEVELOPMENT

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  • Svetoslav Kirilov,
  • Dilyana Bondokova,
  • Sezgin Bekir
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7546/PsyRB.2025.28.01.05

Published 07/21/2025

Keywords

  • psychodynamic approach,
  • personality,
  • addiction,
  • defense mechanisms

How to Cite

Kirilov, S., Bondokova, D., & Bekir, S. (2025). A FUNCTIONAL MODEL OF PATHOLOGICAL GAMBLING DEVELOPMENT. Psychological Research (in the Balkans), 28(1). https://doi.org/10.7546/PsyRB.2025.28.01.05

Copyright (c) 2025 Psychological Research (in the Balkans)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This article presents a concise functional model of pathological gambling development, incorporating the most significant factors in its occurrence, the phases of symptom progression, and the self-reinforcing cycles of gambling behavior. The proposed model is based on observations and summarized clinical experience a small sample of patients (41 men and one woman from 19 to 51 years old), all diagnosed with pathological gambling and participating in a specialized rehabilitation program for individuals with gambling addiction. The model includes three phases: the personality formation phase; the phase of developing attitudes and expectations related to gambling behavior; and the phase of symptom manifestation and maintenance. Specific contributing factors - such as defense mechanisms and life events, that serve as prerequisites for the emergence of problematic gambling behavior are analyzed and summarized. The presented model enhances understanding of the mechanisms underlying the formation and progression of pathological gambling. The systematized key factors and interactions provide guidance for professionals working in this field and may be useful for improving existing rehabilitation and prevention programs or creating new ones

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