Minimal and Brief Treatments for Pathological Gamblers

Minimal and Brief Treatments for Pathological Gamblers: Developing Effective Treatment Systems

The purpose of the study is to examine whether problem gamblers who receive therapy calls in addition to a self-help manual will be more likely to quit or cut back on their gambling when compared with problem gamblers who receive just the manual.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Pathological Gambling
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Self-help treatment

Detailed Description

With gambling becoming more accessible, the occurrence of problems related to gambling are on the rise. The costs of problem gambling are enormous.There are social and economic costs, the gambler can sometimes lose a significant relationship, job, or commit an illegal activity. Pathological gamblers are also at risk for developing a general medical condition related to stress. There is a high risk of suicide and problem gamblers also have increased rates of mental health disorders. Relatively few people choose to attend formal treatment programs so it's important to provide a range of options to make treatment more accessible. The present study examines the effectiveness of minimal and brief interventions delivered by the telephone.

Comparison(s): The "Workbook Only Control" condition involves receiving the self-help booklet through the mail after a brief telephone assessment. The "Minimal Treatment" condition involves receiving the same workbook but also having a motivational enhancement intervention by telephone. The "Brief Treatment" condition provides the workbook, motivational enhancement, and follow-up support on six occasions spread over 36 weeks. The "Wait List Control" condition involves participants being assigned to a six week waiting list. Participants are assessed and after a six week waiting period they will have a reassessment at which time they will be sent the gambling self-help workbook.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 312
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Alberta
    • Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
      • University of Calgary

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Over age 17
• Perception of a gambling problem and a score of 3 or higher (moderate risk) on the Canadian Problem Gambling Index.
• Not involved in treatment at present.
• Willingness to read a short book written in English as a major treatment.
• Willing to have telephone contacts recorded.
• Willing to provide follow-up data on gambling.
• Willing to provide the name of a collateral to help locate them for follow-up interviews.
• Must have gambled at least once in the past month

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants in the preliminary study will be excluded.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Brief self-directed treatment; self-help workbook plus motivational telephone intervention	Behavioral: Self-help treatment; Workbook "Becoming a Winner",; Other Names: motivational interviewing; Bibliotherapy
Experimental: Self-directed plus telephone support; Self-help workbook, motivational telephone intervention plus telephone booster calls	Behavioral: Self-help treatment; Workbook "Becoming a Winner",; Other Names: motivational interviewing; Bibliotherapy
Active Comparator: Workbook only	Behavioral: Self-help treatment; Workbook "Becoming a Winner",; Other Names: motivational interviewing; Bibliotherapy
No Intervention: Waitlist; Six week waitlist

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Days of Gambling	3,6,9 12 months
Money lost	3,6,9 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Gambling problem severity	12 months
Psychiatric symptoms	12 months
Self-efficacy	3,6,9,12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Calgary
• Collaborators: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: David C Hodgins, PhD., University of Calgary

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Hodgins DC, Currie SR, el-Guebaly N. Motivational enhancement and self-help treatments for problem gambling. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2001 Feb;69(1):50-7. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.69.1.50.
• Hodgins DC, Currie S, el-Guebaly N, Peden N. Brief motivational treatment for problem gambling: a 24-month follow-up. Psychol Addict Behav. 2004 Sep;18(3):293-6. doi: 10.1037/0893-164X.18.3.293.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: July 1, 2003
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2006
• Study Completion (Actual): February 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 13, 2005
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 13, 2005
• First Posted (Estimate): September 20, 2005

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): February 16, 2009
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 13, 2009
• Last Verified: February 1, 2009

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Treatment; Problem gambling; Pathological gambling; Telephone support; Self-help manual; Motivation enhancement
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders; Gambling
• Other Study ID Numbers: 110328 - CIHR; 1016 - OPGRC