Internet‐based CBT intervention for gamblers in Finland: Experiences from the field |
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| Authors: | Sari Castrén Maiju Pankakoski Manu Tamminen Jari Lipsanen Robert Ladouceur Tuuli Lahti |
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| Affiliation: | 1. National Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, , Helsinki, Finland;2. University of Helsinki, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, , Helsinki, Finland;3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, , Cambridge, MA, USA;4. Ecole de psychologie, Universite Laval, , Quebec City, Canada;5. Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Philosophy, University of Turku, , Finland |
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| Abstract: | From September 2007 to May 2011 a total of 471 participants (325 males and 146 females) signed up for an 8‐week Internet‐based cognitive behavioral therapy offered for gamblers in Finland. Sixty‐four percent of the participants were pathological gamblers (PGs) (NODS 5> points), 14% were problem gamblers (NODS 3–4 points) and 10% were at risk of gambling problems (NODS 1–2 points). Two hundred and twenty four participants completed the treatment and after the treatment period significant changes were found in the following variables: gambling related problems (NODS), gambling urge, impaired control of gambling, alcohol consumption (AUDIT‐C), social consequences, gambling‐related cognitive erroneous thoughts and depression (MARD‐S). In this sample co‐morbid alcohol consumption was stronger among males. The main finding of this study was that the onset age of gambling was associated with a greater amount of gambling‐related cognitive erroneous thoughts. |
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| Keywords: | Gambling gambling urge impaired control of gambling gambling‐related cognitive erroneous thoughts comorbid alcohol use depression internet‐based therapy |
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