Prevention of pathological gambling: a randomized controlled trial.
Although the gambling industry is expanding rapidly throughout North America and around the world, there are only a few empirically evaluated programs aimed at the prevention of pathological gambling (PG). The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of a new prevention program aimed at PG. The Stop & Think! program was designed to teach at-risk video lottery terminal (VLT) gamblers cognitive restructuring and problem-solving skills that may help to prevent the development of PG. These skills were taught through a variety of methods - including an automated educational presentation, video and text vignettes, audio training tapes, and skill rehearsal. The program was evaluated using a randomized, 2-group experimental design with a wait-list control group and pre-, post-, and follow-up measures. Results indicated that, compared with the control group, the experimental group was less at risk for developing a gambling problem after the program. The experimental group endorsed fewer gambling-related cognitive distortions, engaged in less VLT gambling, and had lower scores on a measure of PG. The results of this study provide the basis for the implementation of the Stop & Think! program in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada, and perhaps other jurisdictions too.
Doiron
Jason P
JP
Psychology Department, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. jpdoiron@upei.ca
Nicki
Richard M
RM
D000328:Adult; D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D002170:Canada; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011340:Problem Solving; D012044:Regression Analysis