MADISON, Wis. — Depression, anxiety and substance-use conditions are substantially more common among people diagnosed with gambling disorder, according to research from Verona-based health technology company Epic. The findings also show that mental health diagnoses may precede a gambling-disorder diagnosis, though researchers caution that the association does not establish which condition causes the other. Among women diagnosed with gambling disorder, about 62% had received a depression diagnosis more than 18 months earlier, while about 60% had previously been diagnosed with anxiety, according to the research. Researchers also observed new mental health diagnoses after a gambling-disorder diagnosis. Caleb Cox, Epic’s head of research, said financial losses from compulsive gambling can contribute to depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges. But the relationship can run in more than one direction, and the findings do not show that gambling disorder alone caused later diagnoses. Harry Levant, director of gambling policy at the Public Health Advocacy Institute, said gambling addiction should be understood as an addiction, not simply a financial problem. He pointed to the growing ease of placing bets through smartphones, including wagers on individual plays during sporting events. Warning signs can include becoming preoccupied with bets, spending money a person cannot afford, borrowing to gamble, or seeing gambling disrupt relationships, finances or activities they once enjoyed, Levant said. Wisconsin residents seeking help can call the Wisconsin Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLE-5, or 1-800-426-2535.