The Influence of Demographic, Behavioural and Treatment Characteristics on Problem Gambling Counselling Outcomes

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth R. Crisp ◽  
Shane A. Thomas ◽  
Alun C. Jackson ◽  
Neil Thomason
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Publicly Funded ◽  
Client Characteristics ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Problem Resolution ◽  
Counselling Services ◽  
Problematic Gambling

The paper considers the influence of client characteristics and gambling behaviour as well as treatment modality on the resolution of gambling behaviour for 591 clients who sought help from the publicly-funded BreakEven counselling services in the state of Victoria between 1 July 1996 and 30 June 1997. Statistical data about clients and their consultations was collected in the form of a Minimum Data Set. On their own, client demographics accounting for 12% of the variance were identified as discriminating between problem gamblers who achieved some resolution of their gambling behaviour and those whose behaviour did not change. Variables associated with gambling behaviour accounted for 10% of variance and treatment variables for 12% of variance in treatment outcomes. Collectively, the three types of data could explain 26% of the variance in problem resolution. Importantly, these findings demonstrate that the resolution of problematic gambling behaviour is affected by a complex interplay of client characteristics, their gambling behaviour and the treatment they receive. It is argued that the evaluation of treatment programs for problem gambling, and potentially all counselling programs in the primary health arena, needs to include measures from each of these domains.

Change and continuity in a help-seeking problem gambling population: A five-year record*

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alun C. Jackson ◽  
Shane A. Thomas ◽  
Tangerine A. Holt ◽  
Neil Thomason
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Major Element ◽  
Client Characteristics ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Counselling Services ◽  
Minimum Data ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Seeking Help

This paper provides an overview of some trends among problem gamblers seeking help through the BreakEven/Gambler's Help problem gambling counselling services in Victoria, Australia, between July 1995 and June 2000. Data presented are drawn from details collected on clients at registration, assessment, and all other client contacts to form a Problem Gambling Services minimum data set (MDS). Analysis of the MDS shows a number of noteworthy trends towards continuity or change. A major element of continuity is the ability of the service to attract women, who constitute around 50% of the clients for the period. Major changes include the increasing trend towards presentation of clients at an earlier stage in their "career" as problem gamblers. Also identified is persistence or change in client characteristics, such as gender differences in gambling activity and problem type and level. In addition, a range of other factors are explored, such as level of debt and its associated characteristics, the characteristics of people committing crimes to finance their gambling, and the differences between people presenting for counselling and problem gamblers in the community.

The interactive effects of avoidance coping and dysphoric mood on problem gambling for female and male gamblers

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Thomas ◽  
Susan Moore
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Mood States ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Avoidance Coping ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Dysphoric Mood

A study involving 83 female and 72 male gamblers tested the direct and interactional effects of avoidance coping and five dysphoric moods on problem gambling via regression analysis. Important differences were found between female and male gamblers. For female gamblers, loneliness, boredom, anxiety, depression and avoidance coping were all positively related to problem gambling. Additionally, interactions between these mood states and avoidance coping significantly predicted problem gambling; female gamblers with high dysphoria and high avoidance coping showed substantially more symptoms of problem gambling than those scoring high on only one variable. In contrast, loneliness and stress were the only significant predictors of problem gambling for males - neither avoidance coping nor any of the interactional relationships between mood and coping predicted problem gambling. These results support previous qualitative studies and suggest that female problem gamblers gamble as an escape from dysphoric moods. Even though male problem gamblers expressed more negative affect than male non-problem gamblers, there was no evidence to suggest that negative mood was a precursor rather than an outcome of gambling behaviour.

scholarly journals Fold, Check, Hit Me! Impact of Lifestyle on the Trajectories of Problem Gamblers

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Ouellet ◽  
Balthazar Queloz
Keyword(s):  
Gambling Behavior ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Dynamic Factors ◽  
Consommation De Substances ◽  
Problematic Gambling ◽  
Life Circumstances ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact

Several studies have demonstrated the intermittent nature of problematic gambling behaviours. Despite the upsurge in research in this area, few studies have examined the dynamics of gambling behaviour or the factors influencing gambling trajectories. Using a retrospective self-report gambler survey inspired by the life history calendar method, the current study sheds light on the intermittency of gambling and the static and dynamic factors that may modulate gambling trajectories. Attention was paid to deviant life circumstances, especially criminal offending, and their effects on gambling parameters. The multilevel analyses results, conducted with data gathered from a sample of a hundred problem gamblers, revealed the impact of life circumstances on these trajectories. On the one hand, sources of social control—hours worked, participation in therapy—have the effect of alleviating gambling problems. On the other hand, deviant life circumstances—commission of lucrative crimes, consumption of psychoactive substances, paying off gambling debt—exacerbated gambling.  The dynamic factors that predict changes in gambling behavior and identified in this research support the development of intervention policies based around them.RésuméPlusieurs études ont démontré la nature intermittente des comportements de jeu problématique. Malgré la recrudescence de la recherche dans ce domaine, peu d’études ont examiné la dynamique du comportement de jeu ou les facteurs influençant les trajectoires de jeu. À l’aide d’une enquête rétrospective sur les joueurs compulsifs autodéclarés, inspirée de la méthode du calendrier sur  l’historique de vie, cette étude met en lumière l’intermittence du jeu et les facteurs statiques et dynamiques qui peuvent moduler les trajectoires de jeu. L’attention a été portée sur les conditions de vie déviantes, en particulier les infractions criminelles et leurs effets sur les paramètres de jeu. Les résultats des analyses à plusieurs niveaux, réalisés à partir de données recueillies auprès d’un échantillon de cent joueurs compulsifs, ont révélé l’impact des circonstances de la vie sur ces trajectoires. D’une part, les structures de contrôle social, p. ex., les heures travaillées, la participation à une thérapie, ont pour effet d’atténuer les problèmes de jeu. D’autre part, les circonstances de vie déviantes, comme la perpétration de crimes lucratifs, la consommation de substances psychoactives, le remboursement des dettes de jeu, aggravent le jeu. Les facteurs dynamiques qui prédisent les changements dans le comportement de jeu et qui ont été répertoriés dans cette recherche appuient l’élaboration de politiques d’intervention fondées sur ces facteurs.

scholarly journals Estimating the prevalence of adult problem gambling in Italy with SOGS and PGSI

2013 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Barbaranelli ◽  
Michele Vecchione ◽  
Roberta Fida ◽  
Sara Podio-Guidugli
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
South Oaks Gambling Screen ◽  
Perfect Agreement ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Highly Correlated

Two assessment measures, the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), and the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), were administered to 1,979 participants (53% males, mean age 44.81 years). Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed the presence of one single dimension underlying the SOGS and PGSI items. The 2 scales showed high levels of reliability. SOGS and PGSI results were highly correlated and showed positive and significant correlations with measures of gambling behaviour. Probable pathological gamblers identified by SOGS represented 2.05% (95% confidence interval 'CI' '1.17, 2.93') of the adult Italian population, and problem gamblers identified by PGSI represented 2.17% (95% CI '1.26, 3.07') of the population. A more conservative estimate of the prevalence of problem gambling in Italy, corresponding to 1.01% (95% CI '0.39, 1.63') of the adult population, was identified by considering only those participants for whom SOGS and PGSI were in perfect agreement concerning risk categories.

scholarly journals Study protocol for an online randomised controlled trial among non-treatment seeking problem gamblers: training inhibition in online problem gambling (TRAIN-online) trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. e051641
Author(s):  
Antoine Santiago ◽  
Arnaud Carré ◽  
Ruben Miranda ◽  
Cédric Lemogne ◽  
Yann LeStrat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Treatment Seeking ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionDevelopment of fully internet-based programs could provide a new avenue to improve access to healthcare for problem gamblers. In this project, we aim to assess the efficacy of a web-based cognitive intervention targeting inhibitory control among problem gamblers, using a randomised controlled design. As impaired inhibitory control is involved in self-regulation difficulties in behavioural addictions, it represents a particularly relevant cognitive process to target for an online psychological intervention.Methods and analysisThis will be a single-blinded, randomised, comparative therapeutic web-based, controlled trial. Up to 200 non-treatment seeking adult problem gamblers with a Problem Gambling Severity Index-recent (PGSI-recent) score ≥5 will be included. The intervention will be a computerised cognitive training program targeting inhibitory skills. The comparator, an active control, will be a computerised neutral sensorial program. Both programs will be carried out under similar conditions: biweekly online training for 6 weeks and optional telephone support will be offered to patients for debriefing. The main objective of the study is to assess the clinical efficacy of the online cognitive training program at 6 weeks, measured with the PGSI-recent. The secondary objectives are to assess the efficacy on the gambling behaviour assessed by the account-based gambling data, on the self-reported gambling practice, and on the inhibition performance at the neuropsychological level at 6, 14 and 52 weeks. We will also assess the acceptability of this program and the preferred level of guidance. Data analysis will be in intention-to-treat.Ethics and disseminationThis randomized controlled trial will be executed in compliance with the Helsinki Declaration, and was approved by the local ethics boards (Comité de Protection des Personnes) in October 2017. The findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberNCT03673800.

scholarly journals The Legal Effect of Voluntary Self-Exclusion Programs for Problem Gambers

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Natalia Antolak-Saper
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Problem Gambler ◽  
Electronic Gaming Machines ◽  
Harm Minimisation ◽  
Reasonable Expectation ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Reporting Requirements ◽  
Legal Effect ◽  
Problematic Gambling ◽  
Gaming Machines

The voluntary self exclusion program has been designed as one attempt to minimise the harm caused by problem gambling and electronic gaming machines. However, the program’s role as a genuine regulatory response is questionable. Few reporting requirements for gaming corporations and a reliance on an unsophisticated method of detecting self-excluded problem gamblers significantly undermine the purpose of the program. This paper considers the liability of gaming venues and corporations in circumstances where a self-excluded problem gambler has not been successfully excluded from the gaming venue. It is suggested that, in entering into the program, a problem gambler may be under a reasonable expectation that the gaming venue will assist in his or her endeavour to control the problematic gambling. Drawing primarily on the laws of Victoria, this article will discuss how the voluntary self-exclusion program is in need of reform so that it can better act as a harm minimisation mechanism. Further, the article will explore possible legal redress in contract, equity and under the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), for problem gamblers who have participated in an ineffective voluntary self-exclusion program.

Why Don't Adolescent Problem Gamblers Seek Treatment?

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Problematic Gambling

Surveys have consistently shown that the prevalence rates for problematic gambling are higher in adolescents than for adults. Given this finding, why is it that so few adolescents, compared to adults, enrol in treatment programs? This paper outlines ten speculative reasons why this situation exists.

Coping Strategies and Problem Gambling

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Farrelly ◽  
Christine Ffrench ◽  
Rowan P. Ogeil ◽  
James G. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Gambling Problems ◽  
South Oaks Gambling Screen ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Dissociative Experiences ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Dissociative Tendencies

AbstractIn DSM-IV, problem gambling is associated with symptoms such as escape, denial, and chasing. However, these symptoms could actually be underlying coping strategies that contribute to the problems associated with gambling behaviour. To address relationships between coping strategies and gambling problems, 65 participants (37 males and 28 females) with a mean age of 37 completed the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), and questionnaires addressing coping strategies, mood states, and dissociative experiences. Specific subscales addressing coping strategies relevant to DSM-IV symptoms were examined, namely Distancing, Escape-Avoidance and Confrontative Coping. Although fantasy and denial feature in the behaviours of problem gamblers, dissociative tendencies were only indirectly linked to problem gambling status. Instead, problem gambling status was related to depression and greater tendencies towards Confrontative Coping and Distancing. The present data demonstrates several distinct factors associated with gambling problems and suggests confrontation could have a role in problem gambling.

scholarly journals Pilot study of an Internet-based personalized feedback intervention for problem gamblers

2011 ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Cunningham ◽  
David C. Hodgins ◽  
Tony Toneatto
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Treatment Seeking ◽  
Web Pages ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Personalized Feedback ◽  
Current Version ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Problematic Gambling ◽  
Almost All

This pilot study reports on the initial usage of an online personalized feedback screener for problem gamblers. The Check Your Gambling screener (CYG; www.CheckYourGambling.net) is an online version of a paper and pencil screener that had shown some promise in an initial evaluation to promote short-term reductions in gambling behaviour. The online CYG screener was linked to two existing Web pages for gambling in Ontario, Canada-the Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline (OPGH) Web page and ProblemGambling.ca. While more participants used the ProblemGambling.ca (n = 730) version than the OPGH version (n = 591), the OPGH version appeared to be more targeted, as almost all of the participants using this Web site were Canadian (and the personalized feedback of the current version of the CYG is generated using Canadian norms). More work is needed to establish whether the online CYG screener can motivate reductions in gambling among participants or motivate treatment-seeking in those requiring assistance in addressing problematic gambling behviour.

A Proof of Concept for Using Brief Dialectical Behavior Therapy as a Treatment for Problem Gambling

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren R. Christensen ◽  
Nicki A. Dowling ◽  
Alun C. Jackson ◽  
Meredith Brown ◽  
James Russo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Behavior Therapy ◽  
Dialectical Behavior Therapy ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Distress Tolerance ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Gambling Expenditure ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Negative Relationships

Fourteen ‘treatment resistant’ problem gamblers received 9 weeks of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) at specialist problem gambling services delivered in Melbourne, Australia. This study is the first to investigate the effectiveness of a brief DBT treatment for problem gambling, with a focus on measuring change in the four DBT process skills (mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion dysregulation, and negative relationships). Although there were no statistically significant improvements in measures of gambling behaviour, 83% of participants were abstinent or reduced their gambling expenditure pre- to post-treatment. Participants also reported statistically and clinically significant improvements in psychological distress, mindfulness, and distress tolerance. Moreover, there were no increases in alcohol or substance use. These results are discussed in the context of focusing on a single DBT process skill, and the benefits of using group-based approaches.

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