Impulsivity, Lack of Premeditation, and Debts in Online Gambling Disorder.

Background and Objectives: Gambling disorder (GD) is a recurrent and persistent problematic gambling behavior that impairs multiple areas of an individual's life. GD can persist through two modes: online or offline. This study aims to compare sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics between treatment-seeking online and offline gamblers and analyze the effect of the gambling mode (online or offline) on anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and debts. Methods: Seventy-nine treatment-seeking gamblers (96.2% males), who were simultaneously receiving treatment at a specialized Pathological Gambling and Behavioral Addictions Unit, participated in this study. The sample was divided into two subsamples: online (n = 29, 100% males) and offline (n = 50, 94% males); the characteristics of these two groups were compared and analyzed using Chi-Square test (χ2), t-Test or Mann-Whitney U-test (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine the effects of gambling mode on significant variables (lack of premeditation and debts). Results: The online sample with a mean age of 29.4 years mainly chose to engage in sports betting (45%, p < 0.05) and showed a higher lack of premeditation levels (25.8 points, p < 0.05) than the offline sample. In addition, the online sample was younger with respect to their onset to gambling (20.2 years, p < 0.05) and the beginning of their gambling problems (25 years, p < 0.05) compared to the offline sample. Online gambling increased the levels of lack of premeditation by an average of 5.43 points compared to offline gambling (p < 0.05). Accumulated debts of the online sample were lower (€11,000) than those of the offline sample (€12,000). However, the interaction between age and gambling mode revealed that online gamblers increased their debt amounts with age at an average increase of €2,726.33 per year compared to offline gamblers (p < 0.05). No significant influence of gambling mode was found on GD severity, anxiety, and depression levels. Conclusions: Gambling mode has a significant relationship with lack of premeditation-a component of impulsivity-and accumulation of debts in treatment-seeking people with GD; however, no relationship was found with the rest of the variables analyzed. Future research with larger samples is needed to confirm these findings.

La medida de la capacidad reflexiva: instrumentos disponibles en castellano y tareas pendientes / The measurement of reflective capacity: instruments available in spanish and pending tasks

Introducción: La medida de la función reflexiva se ha convertido en un aspecto central para la evaluación e investigación de procesos en psicoterapia. Material y método: Se realizó una revisión sistemática de los instrumentos propuestos para la medida de la función reflexiva, actualizando la realizada por Luyten en el año 2011. Se realizó también una revisión de los instrumentos validados en lengua castellana. Resultados: Se encontraron cuestionarios, entrevistas, pruebas experimentales y proyectivas indicadas para la medida de función reflexiva. Conclusiones: En el momento actual faltan instrumentos validados en castellano para poder realizar investigaciones en este campo. Por esta razón, se hacen recomendaciones sobre formación de evaluadores, la puesta a prueba de instrumentos ya validados en muestras clínicas y la validación de instrumentos no disponibles en castellano (AU)

Introduction: The measurement of reflective functioning has become a centralaspect for evaluation and processes investigation in psychotherapy. Material and method: A systematic review of the proposed instruments for measuring reflective functioning was performed, updating that one realized by Luyten in 2011. A review of validated instruments in Spanish was also performed. Results: Questionnaires, interviews, experimental and projective tests indicated for the measurement of reflective functioning were found. Conclusions: At the current time, instruments validated in Spanish are absent to be able to perform investigations in this field. For this reason, recommendations for evaluators training, testing validated instruments in clinical samples and validation of non-available instruments in Spanish are performed (AU)

Terapia de aceptación y compromiso en el tratamiento del Trastorno Obsesivo-Compulsivo / Acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

El tratamiento psicológico de elección del Trastorno Obsesivo-Compulsivo (TOC) es la Exposición con Prevención de Respuesta (EPR). El objetivo de este trabajo es llevar a cabo un análisis funcional de los procedimientos de EPR y Terapia de Aceptación y Compromiso (ACT) en el tratamiento del TOC, y comparar la eficacia de ambas formas de terapia. Para ello, se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura disponible hasta el momento. Los resultados obtenidos indican que estas formas de intervención se basan en diferentes procesos de cambio, pudiendo constituir la ACT una buena alternativa para aquellas personas que no se beneficien de un tratamiento con EPR, además de para lograr una prevención de recaídas en el futuro (AU)

The psychological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the exposure with response prevention (ERP). The aim of this work is to perform a functional analysis of the EPR and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) procedures in the treatment of OCD, and to compare the efficacy of both forms of intervention. A systematic review of the literature was performed. The results indicate that these interventions are based on different processes of change; the ACT may be a good alternative for those who do not have access to treatment with EPR and in the relapse prevention (AU)