The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS): a new instrument for the identification of pathological gamblers

TLDR

The South Oaks Gambling Screen is a 20‑item questionnaire derived from DSM‑III criteria for pathological gambling that can be self‑administered or administered by interviewers. The instrument was developed using 1,616 participants—including substance‑abuse patients, Gamblers Anonymous members, university students, and hospital employees—and validated through family and counselor calibration, demonstrating strong internal consistency and test‑retest reliability. The SOGS correlates well with DSM‑III‑R criteria and provides a convenient screening tool for pathological gambling in both clinical populations of alcoholics and drug abusers and general populations.

Abstract

The South Oaks Gambling Screen is a 20-item questionnaire based on DSM-III criteria for pathological gambling. It may be self-administered or administered by nonprofessional or professional interviewers. A total of 1,616 subjects were involved in its development: 867 patients with diagnoses of substance abuse and pathological gambling, 213 members of Gamblers Anonymous, 384 university students, and 152 hospital employees. Independent validation by family members and counselors was obtained for the calibration sample, and internal consistency and test-retest reliability were established. The instrument correlates well with the criteria of the revised version of DSM-III (DSM-III-R). It offers a convenient means to screen clinical populations of alcoholics and drug abusers, as well as general populations, for pathological gambling.