Yeşim Delice BOCAOĞLU, Leman Elif AYBAY
Addicta The Turkish Journal On Addictions - 2026;13(2):216-224
Gambling disorder (GD) is a behavioral addiction that reduces an individual's quality of life, is associated with feelings of loneliness, and is negatively influenced by object relations. This study aimed to examine the relationships between GD, object relations, loneliness, and quality of life. This research primarily seeks to understand the etiological foundations of GD by analyzing the direct and indirect effects of object relations-related factors on GD using structural equation modeling. The study was conducted with 443 participants living in Turkey, who were included in an online survey. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The indirect effect of object relations on GD via the mediating role of loneliness was found to be significant (beta = .169, p < .001). Reality testing was found to have both a direct and indirect effect via the mediating role of loneliness on GD ( beta = .030, p < .05). The findings indicate that impairments in object relations increase feelings of loneliness and indirectly influence the severity of GD. The findings also highlight the importance of addressing loneliness and impaired reality testing in therapeutic interventions for GD. The results suggest that the current study contributes to the literature by providing insights into the psychodynamic and psychosocial factors associated with GD.
