Perceived parental attitudes and gambling behavior in adults: the moderating role of resilience

Abstract

Introduction: Although multiple risk factors for problematic gambling have been identified, evidence regarding perceived parental attitudes and resilience remains limited, particularly among adults in T & uuml;rkiye. This study investigated the associations between perceived parental attitudes and gambling behavior and the moderating role of resilience. Methods: A cross-sectional online correlational study was conducted in & Idot;stanbul, T & uuml;rkiye, between October 2024 and May 2025 with 389 participants recruited via convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Abbreviated Perceived Parental Attitudes-Child Form, the Brief Psychological Resilience Scale, and the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Turkish Version. Moderator analyses with bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals were performed. Results: Maternal rejection was positively associated with gambling severity (B = 0.106, 95% CI [0.053, 0.160], p < 0.001), as was paternal rejection (B = 0.123, 95% CI [0.073, 0.174], p < 0.001). Resilience significantly moderated both associations (maternal rejection & times; resilience: B = -0.017, 95% CI [-0.028, -0.005], p = 0.005; paternal rejection & times; resilience: B = -0.016, 95% CI [-0.028, -0.003], p = 0.012). Simple slope analyses showed that the associations between parental rejection and gambling severity were significant at low (maternal: B = 0.176, p < 0.001; paternal: B = 0.189, p < 0.001) and average (maternal: B = 0.106, p < 0.001; paternal: B = 0.123, p < 0.001) levels of resilience but were not significant at high resilience (maternal: B = 0.037, p = 0.265; paternal: B = 0.058, p = 0.092). Exploratory correlation analyses additionally showed that parental emotional warmth was positively associated with resilience. Discussion: These findings suggest that resilience may buffer the association between perceived parental rejection and gambling severity.