title: Correlates of motivation to change in pathological gamblers completing cognitive-behavioral group therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study analyzes the association between the motivation to change and the cognitive-behavioral group intervention, in terms of dropouts and relapses, in a sample of male pathological gamblers. The specific objectives were as follows: (a) to estimate the predictive value of baseline University of Rhode Island Change Assessment scale (URICA) scores (i.e., at the start of the study) as regards the risk of relapse and dropout during treatment and (b) to assess the incremental predictive ability of URICA scores, as regards the mean change produced in the clinical status of patients between the start and finish of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The relationship between the URICA and the response to treatment was analyzed by means of a pre-post design applied to a sample of 191 patients who were consecutively receiving cognitive-behavioral group therapy. The statistical analysis included logistic regression models and hierarchical multiple linear regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The discriminative ability of the models including the four URICA scores regarding the likelihood of relapse and dropout was acceptable (area under the receiver operating haracteristic curve: .73 and .71, respectively). No significant predictive ability was found as regards the differences between baseline and posttreatment scores (changes in R(2) below 5% in the multiple regression models).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The availability of useful measures of motivation to change would enable treatment outcomes to be optimized through the application of specific therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gómez-Peña
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Penelo
authors.forename: Roser
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Granero
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fernández-Aranda
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Moya
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Santamaría
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moragas
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neus Aymamí
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gunnard
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Menchón
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jimenez-Murcia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012008:Recurrence