A longitudinal study on the effects of materialism and mental health on gambling problems in Finland

Although gambling is known to involve powerful money-related motives, the influence of materialistic values on problematic gambling habits has been an understudied topic, especially in relation to mental health issues, which are often associated with gambling problems. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of materialism and mental health on gambling problems in a longitudinal nationwide setting. The sample population was 837 Finnish participants taking part in an online panel survey conducted in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Gambling problems were measured using the Problem Gambling Severity Index, materialism was measured with the 9-item Material Values Scale, and mental health issues were measured with the 5-item Mental Health Inventory. Income level, age, and gender were used as control variables. Our multivariate analyses showed that materialism and mental health issues predicted increases in gambling problems, the latter being the stronger predictor. We concluded that a materialistic mind-set can cause problems for gamblers, but the key issue still lies in how well people are doing mentally in their lives.