Oregon Problem Gambling Helpline

NODS/NORC screening tool

NORC DSM-IV Screen for Gambling Problems

The screen is set up to run first a lifetime screen for all items and then ask about the past year only for those items endorsed for lifetime.

How to score the items:
Lifetime: Add 1 point for every YES to any of the following items:
1 or 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 or 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 or 15 or 16, 17

Past year: Add 1 point for every YES to any of the following items:
18 or 19, 20, 22, 24, 25 or 26, 27, 29, 30, 31 or 32 or 33, 34

If gambler responds YES to more than one item in a response cluster (e.g., “8 or 9”), count them together as a single point.

Under the NODS typology

A gambler who scores zero points is a lifetime or past-year Type B gambler, and
A gambler who scores a 1 or 2 is a lifetime or past-year Type C gambler.
Scoring a 3 or 4 would mean one is a lifetime or past-year Type D gambler, which corresponds to what certain studies have called a “possible pathological gambler” or “problem gambler.”
A gambler who scores 5 or more on the NODS is a lifetime or past-year Type E gambler; by DSM-IV criteria, this person is a “probable pathological gambler.”

LIFETIME PROBLEMS

1. Have there ever been periods lasting two weeks or longer when you spent a lot of time thinking about your gambling experiences or planning out future gambling ventures or bets?

2. Have there ever been periods lasting two weeks or longer when you spent a lot of time thinking about ways of getting money to gamble with?

3. Have there ever been periods when you needed to gamble with increasing amounts of money or with larger bets than before in order to get the same feeling of excitement?

4. Have you ever tried to stop, cut down, or control your gambling?

YES GO TO 5
NO GO TO 8

5. On one or more of the times when you tried to stop, cut down, or control your gambling, were you restless or irritable?

6. Have you ever tried but not succeeded in stopping, cutting down, or controlling your gambling?

YES GO TO 7
NO GO TO 8

7. Has this happened three or more times?

8. Have you ever gambled as a way to escape from personal problems?

9. Have you ever gambled to relieve uncomfortable feelings such as guilt, anxiety, helplessness, or depression?

10. Has there ever been a period when, if you lost money gambling one day, you would return another day to get even?

11. Have you ever lied to family members, friends, or others about how much you gamble or how much money you lost on gambling?

YES GO TO 12
NO GO TO 13

12. Has this happened three or more times?

13. Have you ever written a bad check or taken something that didn’t belong to you from family members or anyone else in order to pay for your gambling?

14. Has your gambling ever caused serious or repeated problems in your relationships with any of your family members or friends?

15. ANSWER ONLY IF YOU ARE IN SCHOOL Has your gambling caused you any problems in school, such as missing classes or days of school or your grades dropping?

16. Has your gambling ever caused you to lose a job, have trouble with your job, or miss out on an important job or career opportunity?

17. Have you ever needed to ask family members or anyone else to loan you money or otherwise bail you out of a desperate money situation that was largely caused by your gambling?

PAST YEAR PROBLEMS: COMPLETE THIS SECTION ONLY IF YOU HAVE GAMBLED IN THE PAST YEAR.

18. [ANSWER ONLY IF 1=YES] Since [current month][last year], have there been any periods lasting two weeks or longer when you spent a lot of time thinking about your gambling experiences or planning future gambling ventures or bets?

19. [ANSWER ONLY IF 2=YES] Since [current month][last year], have there been periods lasting two weeks or longer when you spent a lot of time thinking about ways of getting money to gamble with?

20. [ANSWER ONLY IF 3=YES] Since [current month][last year], have there been periods when you needed to gamble with increasing amounts of money or with larger bets than before in order to get the same feeling of excitement?

21. [ANSWER ONLY IF 4=YES] Since [current month][last year], have you tried to stop, cut down, or control your gambling?

YES GO TO 22
NO GO TO 25 22.

[ANSWER ONLY IF 5=YES] Since [current month][last year], on one or more of the times when you tried to stop, cut down, or control your gambling, were you restless or irritable?

23. [ANSWER ONLY IF 6=YES] Since [current month][last year], have you tried but not succeeded in stopping, cutting down, or controlling your gambling?

24. [ANSWER ONLY IF 7=YES] Since [current month][last year], has this happened three or more times?

25. [ANSWER ONLY IF 8=YES] Since [current month][last year], have you gambled as a way to escape from personal problems?

26. [ANSWER ONLY IF 9=YES] Since [current month][last year], have you gambled to relieve uncomfortable feelings such as guilt, anxiety, helplessness, or depression?

27. [ANSWER ONLY IF 10=YES] Since [current month][last year], has there ever been a period when, if you lost money gambling on one day, you would often return another day to get even?

28. [ANSWER ONLY IF 11=YES] Since [current month][last year], have you more than once lied to family members, friends, or others about how much you gamble or how much money you lost on gambling?

YES GO TO 29
NO GO TO 30

29. [ANSWER ONLY IF 12=YES] Has this happened three or more times?

30. [ANSWER ONLY IF 13=YES] Since [current month][last year], have you written a bad check or taken money that didn’t belong to you from family members or anyone else in order to pay for your gambling?

31. [ANSWER ONLY IF 14=YES] Since [current month][last year], has your gambling caused serious or repeated problems in your relationships with any of your family members or friends?

32. [ANSWER ONLY IF 15=YES] Since [current month][last year], has your gambling caused you any problems in school, such as missing classes or days of school or getting worse grades?

33. [ANSWER ONLY IF 16=YES] Since [current month][last year], has your gambling caused you to lose a job, have trouble with your job, or miss out on an important job or career opportunity?

34. [ANSWER ONLY IF 17=YES] Since [current month][last year], have you needed to ask family members or anyone else to loan you money or otherwise bail you out of a desperate money situation that was largely caused by your gambling?