Journal of Psychiatry

Gambling as a social problem

Euro Global Summit and Medicare Expo on Psychiatry

July 20-22, 2015 Barcelona, Spain

Amnon Jacob Suissa

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Psychiatry

Abstract:

The multiple definitions of a social problem depend on various theoretical perspectives, schools of thought, social, historical and political contexts, interest groups and the presence of diverse actors. A problem is recognized as a social one after it passes through various stages: Number of citizens affected by the problem, social ties, proximity or distance to the social mainstream in relation to the problem, institutionalization, modalities of control and social reactions. From a psychosocial and a constructivist perspective, we will attempt to demonstrate how a social condition can be transformed into a potential social problem. By examining the addiction phenomenon with a particular focus on gambling and cyberaddiction, we will focus on a critical social analysis of the main benchmarks that can help us understand the dynamics behind this complex issue.