Cognitive–behavioral group treatment for pathological gambling: analysis of effectiveness and predictors of therapy outcome

Anger in Pathological Gambling: Clinical, Psychopathological, and Personality Correlates

“…Regarding the type of problem gambling, most were slot-machine players. It has to be clarified that this result is in concordance with previous reports in Spain (Becoña, 1999;Jiménez-Murcia et al, 2007), where it has been shown that slot-machine gambling are the most prevalent gambling behaviors, especially in men. This result evidenced some cultural bounding differences, due to the fact that slot-machines are a widespread and very popular practice in Spain (Becoña, 2009), in comparison to other countries (Jiménez- .…”

“…PG has frequently been related to impulsivity, hostility, aggression, novelty seeking and emotional instability in several studies (Jollant et al, 2005;Schwebel, Severson, Ball, & Rizzo, 2006). Even though a specific personality profile unique to PG has not yet been described (Álvarez-Moya et al, 2007;Jiménez-Murcia et al, 2007), probably because this disorder presents a high heterogeneity. Blaszczynski and Nower (2002) proposed three distinct subgroups of gamblers: (a) behaviorally conditioned, (b) emotionally vulnerable and (c) antisocial impulsive problem gamblers.…”

Predictors of Outcome among Pathological Gamblers Receiving Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy

“…), response prevention (alternative and compensatory behaviors), cognitive restructuring focused on the illusions of control over gambling and magical thinking, reinforcement and self-reinforcement, skills training, and relapse prevention techniques. This treatment program has already been described [31] and its short- and medium-term effectiveness has been reported elsewhere [4]. …”

“…In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM)-5, it is classified as a non-substance-related addiction [1]. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been described as an effective treatment for this condition, with abstinence rates above 75% after therapy and during follow-up [2,3,4]. However, other studies report high relapse rates: in a naturalistic study of 101 individuals with a history of gambling problems who were recruited via media advertisement and had received specific treatment or had attended Gamblers Anonymous, fewer than 10% were entirely free of gambling behavior at 12-month follow-up [5].…”

“…These include: triggering stimuli of gambling behavior (gambling for pleasure or social interaction, gambling as a strategy to avoid personal issues, the hope that gambling will eliminate financial concerns, and missing the thrill of gambling), psychopathological and emotional variables (sensation-seeking traits and high levels of guilt and shame), several clinical characteristics of the GD (shorter duration of problem gambling and younger age of onset of the disorder), and certain treatment variables (motivation and noncompliance with homework between sessions) [3,4,17,18]. A supportive network has also been identified as the main predictor for treatment continuation [18].…”