Marie Grall-Bronnec1, Anne Sauvaget2, Claude Boutin3, Samuel Bulteau4, Susana Jiménez-Murcia5, Fernando Fernández-Aranda5, Gaëlle Challet-Bouju6, Julie Caillon4. 1. CHU de Nantes, Clinical Investigation Unit "Behavioral Addictions/Complex Affective Disorders", Addictology and Psychiatry Department, Nantes, France; Université de Nantes, EA 4275 "Biostatistics, Pharmacoepidemiology and Subjective Measures in Health Sciences", Nantes, France. Electronic address: marie.bronnec@chu-nantes.fr. 2. CHU de Nantes, Clinical Investigation Unit "Behavioral Addictions/Complex Affective Disorders", Addictology and Psychiatry Department, Nantes, France; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain. 3. Université Laval, GRIF-Jeu, Québec, Canada, and Maison Jean Lapointe, Montreal, Canada. 4. CHU de Nantes, Clinical Investigation Unit "Behavioral Addictions/Complex Affective Disorders", Addictology and Psychiatry Department, Nantes, France. 5. Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain. 6. CHU de Nantes, Clinical Investigation Unit "Behavioral Addictions/Complex Affective Disorders", Addictology and Psychiatry Department, Nantes, France; Université de Nantes, EA 4275 "Biostatistics, Pharmacoepidemiology and Subjective Measures in Health Sciences", Nantes, France.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Trading and gambling appear to share some similarities. Indeed, traders can get professionally involved in high-risk types of trading as if it were gambling. This research explores whether excessive trading can be conceptualized as a subset of gambling disorders. OBJECTIVE: To better acknowledge the existence of an addictive-like trading behavior and to discuss its phenomenological similarities with gambling disorders. METHODS: The data of 8 excessive traders out of a cohort of 221 outpatients seeking treatment in our Problem Gambling unit were analyzed. RESULTS: Our case series revealed important similarities with gambling disorders in terms of diagnosis, trajectory and comorbidities. Like many disordered gamblers, excessive traders of this study experienced a number of small early wins, chased their losses, and ended up losing control over the money they invested. All of them invested in very risky stocks associated with short-term trading leading to potential large gains, but also with very significant losses. The structure itself of the two activities (gambling and trading) is very close. CONCLUSION: Our results tended to support the idea of an addictive-like trading behavior as a subset of gambling disorders. Investing is not a form of gambling, but some people gamble with investments. Several observations and recommendations can be made: (i) conduct researches; (ii) build and validate specific assessment tools; (iii) develop strategies for prevention and treatment; and (iv) conduct more rigorous studies to clarify what we named an addictive-like trading behavior.
INTRODUCTION: Trading and gambling appear to share some similarities. Indeed, traders can get professionally involved in high-risk types of trading as if it were gambling. This research explores whether excessive trading can be conceptualized as a subset of gambling disorders. OBJECTIVE: To better acknowledge the existence of an addictive-like trading behavior and to discuss its phenomenological similarities with gambling disorders. METHODS: The data of 8 excessive traders out of a cohort of 221 outpatients seeking treatment in our Problem Gambling unit were analyzed. RESULTS: Our case series revealed important similarities with gambling disorders in terms of diagnosis, trajectory and comorbidities. Like many disordered gamblers, excessive traders of this study experienced a number of small early wins, chased their losses, and ended up losing control over the money they invested. All of them invested in very risky stocks associated with short-term trading leading to potential large gains, but also with very significant losses. The structure itself of the two activities (gambling and trading) is very close. CONCLUSION: Our results tended to support the idea of an addictive-like trading behavior as a subset of gambling disorders. Investing is not a form of gambling, but some people gamble with investments. Several observations and recommendations can be made: (i) conduct researches; (ii) build and validate specific assessment tools; (iii) develop strategies for prevention and treatment; and (iv) conduct more rigorous studies to clarify what we named an addictive-like trading behavior.