Exploring Real-time Associations Between Momentary Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Gambling Behavior in Australian Adults: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Guided by the dynamic model of relapse, this study examined whether momentary distress intolerance (DI) and emotion regulation (ER; maladaptive and adaptive strategy use) predict gambling behavior (episodes, expenditure, duration) in real time and whether momentary DI and ER interact with each other and with stable (problem gambling severity, high-risk situations) and momentary (psychological distress, state impulsivity) vulnerabilities in predicting gambling episodes. METHOD: A secondary analysis was conducted on an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study comprising a pre-EMA survey of stable variables followed by a 28-day period of twice-daily smartphone-delivered EMAs of momentary variables and gambling episodes. The convenience sample included 132 Australian adults (Mage = 29.9 years; 58.3% male; 94.7% endorsed gambling problems) who reported gambling in a typical month. RESULTS: Mixed-effects logistic regression analyses showed that momentary DI was associated with longer subsequent gambling duration (OR = 1.13, 95% CI [1.02, 1.25], p = .024), and maladaptive ER strategies were associated with both gambling episodes (OR = 1.24, 95% CI [1.03, 1.50], p = .023) and longer subsequent gambling duration (OR = 1.64, 95% CI [1.02, 2.65], p = .042). Adaptive ER strategy use was not significantly associated with gambling behavior. Only DI interacted with state impulsivity (OR = 1.11, 95% CI [1.03, 1.19], p = .005), whereby individuals with low impulsivity were more likely to gamble when DI was low, whereas those with high impulsivity were more likely to gamble when DI was high. CONCLUSIONS: These findings contribute to our understanding of DI and ER strategy use as dynamic, momentary vulnerabilities for gambling behavior and highlight their potential as real-time intervention targets, particularly for individuals with high impulsivity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).