The goals of this study were to estimate the levels of involvement in gambling and gambling disorders among Polish prisoners and to identify selected psychosocial factors associated with gambling activities. The study was conducted in randomly selected penitentiaries with therapeutic and non-therapeutic programmes. It covered 1219 male prisoners and used a specially designed 75-item questionnaire, including South Oaks Gambling Screen. About 29.4% of prisoners had exhibited pathological gambling symptoms at some point in their lives (based on South Oaks Gambling Screen). Pathological gamblers were characterised by: city residence, not being educated above lower-secondary, being single, having other gamblers and pathological gamblers among their close friends or family and use of psychoactive substances while gambling. Pathological gamblers were motivated by the desire to win, to escape from problems and to experience powerful emotions. The prevalence of gambling disorders in the prison population suggests that there is a need for systemic action to be introduced to prevent the development of pathological gambling in penitentiaries and also within groups at risk of criminal activity.

中文翻译：

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波兰男性囚犯的赌博问题：流行率和社会心理因素的研究

本研究的目的是估计波兰囚犯参与赌博和赌博障碍的程度，并确定与赌博活动相关的选定心理社会因素。该研究是在随机选择的监狱中进行的，有治疗和非治疗计划。它涵盖了 1219 名男性囚犯，并使用了专门设计的 75 项问卷，其中包括 South Oaks Gambling Screen。大约 29.4% 的囚犯在他们生命中的某个阶段表现出病态的赌博症状（基于 South Oaks Gambling Screen）。病态赌徒的特征是：城市居民、未受过初中以上教育、单身、亲朋好友中有其他赌徒和病态赌徒、赌博时使用精神活性物质。病态赌徒的动机是获胜、逃避问题和体验强大的情绪。监狱人口中赌博障碍的流行表明需要采取系统性行动，以防止在监狱中以及在有犯罪活动风险的群体中发展病态赌博。