The profile of vulnerable groups in the context of the growth of gambling in Kazakhstan: social and demographic risk factors.

The primary objective of the present article is to identify the socio-demographic factors that increase the risk of developing gambling addiction in Kazakhstan and to analyze the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions through the application of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The research included two samples of individuals aged 18 to 65: 782 participants for the assessment of the severity of gambling addiction across different social groups, and 148 participants for the empirical evaluation of a rehabilitation program. The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) was used as the assessment tool. Research methods included quantitative analysis (descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, multiple regression) and qualitative analysis (thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews in NVivo). The results highlighted the importance of considering social and demographic factors when studying gambling addiction. Men and middle-aged individuals (45-59 years) were found to be most vulnerable to gambling addiction, while women and elderly participants showed lower levels of addiction. Low income and below-average education were associated with higher levels of dependency. The rehabilitation program demonstrated high effectiveness.