Effects of Internet-based Treatment of Pathological Gambling

Umeå University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pathological Gambling

Treatments: Behavioral: cognitive behavior therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01381250

Spelstudie2

Details and patient eligibility

About

A trial testing the outcome of an Internet-based treatment of pathological gambling with the hypothesis that there will be improvements both immediately and up to 36 months. It is also hypnotized that treatment response can be predicted from background variables.

Enrollment: 284 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pathological gambling according to DSM and having gambled at least once the past month
• Being atleast 18 years old
• Living in Sweden

Exclusion Criteria:

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

284 participants in 1 patient group

Treatment

Experimental group

Description:

The treatment was based on established cognitive behavior therapy methods, as described in self-help books (Hodgins, 2002; Ladouceur \& Lachance, 2006). The text was divided into eight modules and was adapted for Internet use. The first four modules had a motivational interviewing focus and included building motivation for change by letting the participant answer open-ended questions that would evoke talk of change. The participants were encouraged to ask for input from their relatives on different aspects of their gambling. In addition, the first four modules included time line follow-back and mapping of the reasons for gambling. The remaining four modules were based on CBT. Each module included information and exercises and ended with three to eight essay-style questions. Feedback on homework assignments was usually given within 24 hr after participants had sent their answers via e-mail. Once weekly, a telephone call was made by the therapists to each participant.

Treatment:

Behavioral: cognitive behavior therapy