Validation of the Gambling Disorder Screening Questionnaire, a self-administered diagnostic questionnaire for gambling disorder based on the DSM-5 criteria.

AIM: The DSM-5 has modified the diagnostic criteria for gambling disorder, compared to the fourth edition of the manual; new diagnostic instruments are therefore needed. This study evaluated the psychometric characteristics of the Gambling Disorder Screening Questionnaire (GDSQ), a self-report questionnaire based on the DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria for Gambling Disorder, measuring its validity, internal consistency, and submitting the questionnaire to a principal components analysis.

METHODS: 71 patients from a gambling disorder outpatient clinic and 70 controls were evaluated with the GDSQ, the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), and a psychiatric interview.

RESULTS: The test showed a good sensibility, specificity, internal consistency, concurrent validity with the SOGS. The exclusion of the “illegal acts” item, and the lowering of the cut-off score to four positive items, as suggested by the DSM-5 criteria, improved the test sensibility and internal consistency.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The GDSQ can be considered a useful screening test for Gambling Disorder. Furthermore, this study confirms the improved diagnostic accuracy of the criteria listed in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, compared to the previous edition.