Gambling Psychological Intervention
This evidence-based intervention was developed for the treatment of pathological gambling, kleptomania, compulsive buying, and pyromania. It reviews the background and diagnostic information for each ICD as well as available treatment outcome studies; the assessment process for each ICD problem and the individual therapy sessions are also covered. About gambling debts or seeing reminders of gambling; or is out with others who are gambling—may also increase. Pathological gambling is associated with suicide, suicidal. Ideation, and suicide attempts. Among the many risk factors are financial difficulties and depression. People who have pathological gambling and also. Gambling DSM IV-TR (2000) considers gambling to be an impulsive disorder characterized. A preoccupation with the behaviour; Repeated and unsuccessful attempts to stop; Continuing the habit despite losses and other costs Generally there seems to be a fixed development: 1. Social gambling, 2. Frequent gambling, 3. Problem gambling, 4. The goal of this systematic review is to portray psychological interventions that are entirely online for people with alcohol, drug, and gambling related problems. Like the systematic review conducted by Danielsson et al. (2014), this review shows that studies evaluating the efficacy of online interventions for alcohol related problems are.
Gambling addiction is a type of impulse-control disorder where you have little or no control over your urge to gamble, even when you are aware that your actions can hurt yourself and others and even when the odds are against you.
There is often an underlying issue which causes you to start gambling. Examples may include stress caused by problems at work, unresolved issues within a relationship, drug or alcohol addiction, or a form of escapism from bereavement or any difficult emotional period in your life.
At Priory, we understand that acknowledging you have a gambling problem and seeking help can be difficult at first. Whether you have lost a significant amount of money on one bet or over a period of time, your gambling addiction can be rectified no matter how severe your habit.
Our approach to treating gambling addiction symptoms involves psychological support or intervention therapy sessions using evidence-based approaches to initially help to understand the reasons why you have developed a gambling addiction, which can be further explored as part of individual or group therapy sessions at one of our specialist addiction treatment centres.
Feeling a constant urge to gamble even when you are already in a difficult financial situation, or gambling as a way out of financial difficulty are both common symptoms of a gambling addiction. Gambling addiction can also cause problems in relationships and at work, while the cost of funding a gambling addiction can become a huge burden as well as an emotional pressure.
Common symptoms of a gambling addiction
Gambling addiction may be caused by underlying stress linked to a difficult time in your life, whether work, relationship or financially related, as well as having an addictive personality prone to compulsive behaviour.
Psychological therapies have been proposed for the treatment of pathological and problem gambling, and this review summarised current evidence for these therapies. It included best-quality randomised trials, where therapy was compared with conditions including 'no treatment’ controls or referral to Gamblers Anonymous. It considered categories of therapy including: (1) cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT); (2) motivational interviewing therapy; (3) integrative therapy; and (4) other psychological therapy. The search identified 14 studies and we combined data from these. Data from nine studies indicated benefits of CBT in the period immediately following treatment. However, there were few studies across longer periods of time (e.g. 12 months) after treatment, and little is known about whether effects of CBT are lasting. Data from three studies of motivational interviewing therapy suggested some benefits in terms of reduced gambling behaviour, but not necessarily other symptoms of pathological and problem gambling. However, the data come from few studies and conclusions regarding motivational interviewing therapy require further research. There were also few studies that provided evidence on integrative therapies (two studies) and other psychological therapies (one study), and there is currently insufficient data to evaluate the efficacy of these therapies
This review supports the efficacy of CBT in reducing gambling behaviour and other symptoms of pathological and problem gambling immediately following therapy. However, the durability of therapeutic gain is unknown. There is preliminary evidence for some benefits from motivational interviewing therapy in terms of reduced gambling behaviour, although not necessarily other symptoms of pathological and problem gambling. However, the findings are based on few studies and additional research is needed to inform conclusions. There is also evidence suggestive of some possible benefit from integrative therapies, and other psychological therapies for pathological and problem gambling. However, there are too few studies and evidence is insufficient to evaluate these therapies. The majority of studies in this review varied in risk of bias, and much of the evidence comes from studies with multiple limitations. The current data may thus reflect overestimates of treatment efficacy.
Various psychological therapies for pathological and problem gambling have been evaluated in randomised trials. A synthesis of best-quality evidence is required.
The objective was to synthesise evidence from randomised trials of psychological therapies for pathological and problem gambling (cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing therapy, integrative therapy, other psychological therapy), in order to indicate the efficacy of therapies and durability of therapy effects, relative to control conditions.
Included studies were clinical trials using random allocation to groups, considering pathological or problem gamblers, and evaluating a psychological therapy for pathological or problem gambling. Control conditions included 'no treatment' controls, referral to Gamblers Anonymous and non-specific treatment component controls.
List Of Psychological Interventions
We systematically extracted data on the characteristics and results of studies. Primary outcomes were measures of gambling symptom severity, financial loss from gambling and frequency of gambling. Secondary outcomes were occurrence of pathological gambling diagnoses and depression and anxiety symptoms. Treatment effects were defined by comparisons between therapy and control conditions at post-treatment assessments (conducted from 0 to 3 months following completion of treatment) and follow-up assessments (conducted from 9 to 12 months following completion of treatment), respectively, using the standardised mean difference (SMD) or risk ratio (RR). We synthesised results through random-effects meta-analysis.
Types Of Psychological Interventions
Fourteen studies (n = 1245) met the inclusion criteria. Eleven studies compared CBT with control and comparisons at 0 to 3 months post-treatment showed beneficial effects of therapy that ranged from medium (when defined by financial loss from gambling: SMD -0.52; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.71 to -0.33, n = 505) to very large (for gambling symptom severity: SMD -1.82; 95% CI -2.61 to -1.02, n = 402). Only one study (n = 147) compared groups at 9 to 12 months follow-up and produced smaller effects that were not significant. Four studies of motivational interviewing therapy were identified and mainly considered samples demonstrating less severe gambling (relative to studies of pathological gamblers). Data suggested reduced financial loss from gambling following motivational interviewing therapy at 0 to 3 months post-treatment (SMD -0.41; 95% CI -0.75 to -0.07, n = 244), although comparisons on other outcomes were not significant. The effect approached zero when defined by gambling symptom severity (SMD -0.03; 95% CI -0.55 to 0.50, n = 163). Studies compared groups at 9 to 12 months follow-up and found a significant effect of motivational interviewing therapy in terms of frequency of gambling (SMD -0.53; 95% CI -1.04 to -0.02, n = 62), with comparisons on other outcomes that were not significant. Two studies of integrative therapies also considered samples demonstrating overall low gambling severity, and found no significant effects of therapy at 0 to 3 months post-treatment. Comparisons at 9 to 12 months follow-up suggested a medium effect from therapy in terms of gambling symptom severity, with no significant differences for other outcomes. One study (n = 18) considered another psychological therapy (i.e.Twelve-Step Facilitated Group Therapy) and suggested beneficial effects in terms of most outcomes at 0 to 3 months post-treatment. The evidence supporting these various classes of therapy ranged from very low to low quality.