Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treatment of Pathological Gambling

NCT ID: NCT00158314

Last Updated: 2013-07-01

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 231 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 1998-03-31
• Study Completion Date: 2003-11-30

Brief Summary

This study will determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of three different treatment strategies in reducing gambling behaviors.

Detailed Description

The number of pathological gamblers in the United States is steadily growing, leading to significant financial, psychological, and public health consequences. However, studies examining the effectiveness of treatment interventions for pathological gamblers are limited. This study will compare the effectiveness of three different treatment strategies, including referral to Gambler's Anonymous (GA), a self-help manual, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in reducing gambling behaviors and other problems related to pathological gambling.

This study will last 8 weeks. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three interventions. Group 1 participants will be referred to GA and 8 weeks of CBT, which focuses on teaching skills to help reduce gambling urges and develop alternative behaviors to gambling. Group 2 participants will be referred to GA and given an 8-week self-help manual. Group 3 participants will be referred to GA alone. Questionnaires will be used to assess participants' gambling behavior and any personal, legal, or health problems they may be experiencing. The questionnaires will be completed at study entry, study completion, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up visits.

Participants will be asked to identify at least one person who knows about their gambling problem and will have regular contact with them during the study and for at least 1 year This person will be interviewed at the beginning of the study, and at Months 2, 6 and 12. Researchers will ask contact persons about participants' gambling behaviors, personal relationships, legal problems, use of health care and mental health services, and how the participant can be contacted if he or she moves.

For information on related studies, please follow these links:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00118391

http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00618462

Conditions

Gambling

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Interventions

Referral to Gamblers Anonymous

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive behavioral self-help manual

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Diagnosis of pathological gambling
• 3 or more gambling episodes within 60 days prior to study entry

Exclusion Criteria

• Inability to read English at the 5th grade level
• Uncontrolled psychiatric condition

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

UConn Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

University of Connecticut Health Center

Principal Investigators

Nancy M. Petry, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

UConn Health

Locations

University of Connecticut Health Center

Farmington, Connecticut, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

R01MH060417-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

DATR A2-AIR

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

R01MH060417-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

View Link