Negative and positive mental health characteristics of affected family members: Findings from a cross-sectional Australian general population gambling study.

Despite the impact of problem gambling on affected family members (AFMs), there are limited large-scale population level studies identifying the negative mental health (NMH) and positive mental health (PMH) characteristics of AFMs. Furthermore, no study has explored whether PMH characteristics are protective in the relationships between AFM status and NMH characteristics. This study involved secondary data analysis from the Third Social and Economic Impact Study of Gambling in Tasmania. Using a subsample of 1,869 adults (48.30 % male; meanage = 48.48; 4.67 % AFMs), this study aimed to explore whether: (1) AFM status is associated with NMH (depression, anxiety, panic, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, binge drinking, tobacco use, and drug use symptoms) and PMH (quality of life [QOL], personal growth/autonomy, interpersonal/social skills, coping skills) characteristics after separately controlling for sociodemographic, problem gambling severity, and other NMH characteristics; (2) PMH characteristics moderate (buffer) the relationships between AFM status and NMH characteristics; and (3) gender influences these relationships. AFM status, defined as exposure to family member gambling problems, significantly positively predicted NMH characteristics (depression, anxiety, panic, PTSD, and tobacco use symptoms) and negatively predicted QOL (physical, social) and planning coping. The strength of these relationships generally attenuated after controlling for various covariates. Gender did not moderate these relationships. Religious coping exacerbated the relationship between AFM status and panic disorder symptoms. These findings can inform the development of intervention initiatives for family members exposed to gambling problems. Future population-representative research is required using a range of affected other types, longitudinal study designs, and more comprehensive measures.

Effective behaviour change techniques for family and close friends: A systematic review and meta-analysis across the addictions.

This systematic review aimed to determine whether the use of specific behaviour change technique (BCT) groups are associated with greater effectiveness for psychosocial interventions delivered to family and close friends (FCFs) impacted by addiction. A systematic search of peer-reviewed and grey literature published until August 2021 identified 32 studies in 38 articles. An established BCT taxonomy (93 BCTs clustered into 16 groups) was adapted (inclusion of seven additional BCT groups) and applied to 57 interventions. The meta-analyses indicated that some, but not all, FCF outcomes were improved by the exclusion of BCTs within several groups (Reward and Threat, Scheduled Consequences, Confrontation of the Addicted Person to Engage in Treatment, and Goals and Planning) and inclusion of BCTs within the Restoring a Balanced Lifestyle group. Addicted person outcomes were improved by the inclusion of some BCTs within several groups (Repetition and Substitution, Reward and Threat, Scheduled Consequences, and Restoring a Balanced Lifestyle). Relationship functioning outcomes were improved by the inclusion of BCTs within the Confrontation of the Addicted Person to Engage in Treatment group. Future research involving the development and evaluation of numerous interventions or comprehensive multi-component interventions that can address the various needs of FCFs, without counteracting them, is required.

The Identification of Low-risk Gambling Limits for Specific Gambling Activities.

An emerging literature has identified optimal low-risk gambling limits in an effort to reduce gambling-related harm. Concerns have, however, been raised about the construction of aggregate low-risk limits that are applied to all gambling activities and there is support from gambling experts and the general public in Australia for the identification of low-risk limits for specific gambling activities. The study's aim was to identify and evaluate a set of empirically-based activity-specific limits (gambling frequency, gambling expenditure, gambling expenditure as a proportion of gross personal income, session expenditure, session duration) in a secondary analysis of Social and Economic Impact Studies of Gambling in Tasmania and the 2014 Survey on Gambling, Health and Wellbeing in the ACT. Balancing sensitivity and specificity, limits were identified for all gambling activities: EGMs (10 times per year, AUD$300/year, 0.63-1.04% of personal income, AUD$35 per session, 40 min/session), horse/dog racing (0.55% of personal income), instant scratch tickets (AUD$45/year), lotteries (0.45% of personal income), keno (4-13 times/year, AUD$45-$160/year), casino table games (AUD$345/year, 0.36-0.76% of personal income), bingo (AUD$150/year, 0.49% of personal income, AUD$17/session, 90 min/session), and sports/other event betting (14 times/year, AUD$400/year, 0.55-0.86% of personal income). These limits were exceeded by one-quarter to one-half of gamblers on these specific activities and were generally good predictors of gambling-related harm in subgroups of gamblers participating in these gambling activities and in the overall gambling sample. The limits provide gamblers, regulators, prevention workers, and researchers with simple rules of thumb in prevention efforts to reduce gambling-related harm in specific contexts.

Exploring the associations between gambling cravings, self-efficacy, and gambling episodes: An Ecological Momentary Assessment study.

AIMS: To explore reciprocal relationships between real-time gambling cravings and self-efficacy with gambling behaviour, and the moderating role of gambling, mental health, and addiction-related variables. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a 4-week Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) study conducted in Tasmania, Australia. SETTING: Data were collected via telephone interviews (pre-EMA) and smartphones (EMA). PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-seven regular gamblers (mean age: 45.90 years, 57.73% male) reported 5,113 observations. MEASUREMENTS: EMA measures included gambling cravings (occurrence, frequency, intensity), self-efficacy (craving-related, gambling-related), and gambling behaviour (episodes, expenditure, duration). Pre-EMA measures included gambling (severity; harms; motives; high-risk situations), mental health (depressive symptoms; anxiety symptoms) and addiction-related (alcohol use; smoking; substance use) moderator variables. FINDINGS: Mixed-effects binary logistic regression analyses revealed that gambling cravings predicted gambling episodes (OR = 2.23, 95% CI:1.61, 3.08), gambling self-efficacy and gambling duration were reciprocally related (OR = 4.65, 95% CI:1.08, 20.04; OR = 0.21, 95% CI:0.05, 0.93), and craving self-efficacy predicted gambling expenditure (OR = 0.30, 95% CI:0.10, 0.86). Moderation analyses revealed that: (1) craving self-efficacy exacerbated craving frequency with gambling expenditure; (2) coping motives exacerbated gambling self-efficacy with gambling expenditure; (3) high-risk positive reinforcement situations exacerbated craving intensity and gambling self-efficacy with gambling episodes, and gambling episode with craving occurrence; and (4) substance use exacerbated gambling self-efficacy with duration, and buffered gambling expenditure with craving intensity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have implications for the development of real-time gambling interventions that aim to reduce gambling cravings and increase self-efficacy, which could be targeted to vulnerable individuals, including people who frequently gambled for coping purposes or positive reinforcement, and people with comorbid substance use.

Risk, compensatory, and protective factors in problem gambling: The role of positive mental health characteristics.

There is a limited evidence base from which to draw conclusions about compensatory and protective factors for problem gambling. The aim of this study was to explore the potential for positive mental health characteristics (general coping, emotional support, spirituality, interpersonal skills, personal growth and autonomy, and global affect) to play a compensatory role and protective role in problem gambling in a convenience sample of 499 Australian university students. Hazardous alcohol use, past-year substance use, gambling-related cognitions (interpretive bias, illusion of control, predictive control, gambling-related expectancies, and perceived inability to stop gambling), gambling high-risk situations (negative and positive reinforcement situations), and gambling motives (money, positive feelings, regulate internal state, and challenge) positively predicted problem gambling severity. None of the positive mental health characteristics negatively predicted problem gambling severity, suggesting that these factors did not play a compensatory role. However, emotional support, personal growth and autonomy, and global affect buffered the influence of gambling motives and high-risk situations, suggesting that these factors played a protective role. In contrast, spirituality displayed a direct positive predictive relationship with problem gambling severity, suggesting that it served to act as a risk factor in this sample. The identification of these modifiable risk and protective factors has implications for the development of effective prevention and intervention initiatives. Further longitudinal research employing population-representative samples is required to replicate these results and investigate relationship-, community-, and societal-level risk, compensatory and protective factors associated with the development of problem gambling.

"It Runs in Your Blood": Reflections from Treatment Seeking Gamblers on Their Family History of Gambling.

There are considerable gaps in our understanding of the familial transmission of gambling problems. This convergent mixed-methods study aimed to explore the: (1) sources of heterogeneity in the familial (paternal, maternal, and sibling) transmission of gambling problems; (2) degree to which family-of-origin characteristics are associated with family-of-origin problem gambling; and (3) beliefs of gamblers about the nature of the familial transmission of problem gambling. The sample consisted of 97 treatment-seeking gamblers in Australia. One-quarter (25.5%) of participants reported that at least one family member (16.5% father, 7.5% mother, 7.6% siblings) living with them when they were growing up had a gambling problem. Most participants reported that family members with a positive history of problem gambling were biological relatives, lived with them full-time, and experienced long-term difficulties with gambling. Participants with a family history of problem gambling were young (less than 12 years of age) at the onset of parental, but not sibling, problem gambling, were women, and reported difficulties with the same gambling activity as their family member. Participants raised in families with problem gambling were more likely to report parental separation (risk ratio [RR] = 2.32) and divorce (RR = 2.83), and extreme family financial hardship (RR = 1.80), as well as low levels of paternal authoritative parenting than participants raised in non-problem gambling families. Qualitatively, both social learning and genetics were perceived to play a central role in the familial transmission of gambling problems. These findings inform theories of the familial transmission of gambling problems and the design of targeted prevention and intervention strategies.

Enhancing the utility of the problem gambling severity index in clinical settings: Identifying refined categories within the problem gambling category.

BACKGROUND: The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) was intended for use in epidemiological research with gamblers across the continuum of risk. Its utility within clinical settings, where the majority of clients are problem gamblers, has been brought into question. AIMS: (1) Identify refined categories for the problem gambling category of the PGSI in help-seeking gamblers; (2) Validate these categories using the Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale (G-SAS); (3) Explore the relationship of these categories with indices of gambling and help-seeking behaviour. METHODS: Secondary data analysis of help-seeking problem gamblers from the Australian online gambling counselling/support service (Gambling Help Online [GHO]) from October 2012 to December 2015 (n = 5,881) and trial data evaluating an Australian online self-directed program for gambling (GamblingLess; n = 198). Both datasets included the PGSI, gambling frequency and expenditure. The GamblingLess dataset also included the G-SAS and help-seeking behaviour. RESULTS: A Latent Class Analysis, using GHO data, identified a 2-class solution. Multiple analytical methods identified a cut-off value of ≥ 19 distinguishing this 2-class solution (low problem severity: Median = 16; high problem severity: Median = 23). High problem severity gamblers had increased odds of being categorised in the higher GSAS category, greater gambling expenditure and having sought face-to-face support. The refined categories were not associated with gambling frequency, distance-based or self-directed help-seeking. CONCLUSION: These findings are consistent with a stepped-care approach, whereby individuals with higher severity may be better suited to more intensive interventions and individuals with lower severity could commence with less intensive interventions and step-up to intensive interventions.

The diagnostic accuracy of brief screening instruments for problem gambling: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Non-gambling specialist services, such as primary care, alcohol and other drug use, and mental health services, are well placed to enhance the identification of people with gambling problems and offer appropriate generalist first level interventions or referral. Given time and resource demands, many of these clinical services may only have the capacity to administer very short screening instruments. This systematic review was conducted to provide a resource for health service providers and researchers in identifying the most accurate brief (1-5 item) screening instruments to identify problem and at-risk gambling for their specific purposes and populations. A systematic search of peer-reviewed and grey literature from 1990 to 2019 identified 25 articles for inclusion. Meta-analysis revealed five of the 20 available instruments met criteria for satisfactory diagnostic accuracy in detecting both problem and at-risk gambling: Brief Problem Gambling Screen (BPGS-2), NODS-CLiP, Problem Gambling Severity Index-Short Form (PGSI-SF), NODS-PERC, and NODS-CLiP2. Of these, the NODS-CLiP and NODS-PERC have the largest volume of diagnostic data. The Lie/Bet Questionnaire and One-Item Screen are also promising shorter options. Because these conclusions are drawn from a relatively limited evidence base, future studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of existing brief instruments across settings, age groups, and timeframes are needed.

The therapist experience of internet delivered CBT for problem gambling: Service integration considerations.

INTRODUCTION: Countries with legalized gambling offer a network of government funded face-to-face therapy, but usage of this expertise is on the decline. One way to address this issue is to recruit therapists from existing services whereby they provide guidance for the delivery of internet delivered CBT. OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences and perceptions of therapists supporting guided online cognitive-behavioural therapy. METHODS: Interviewees were a sub-sample of therapists from a randomised trial that investigated the relative efficacy of online guided self-directed versus pure self-directed interventions in Australia. RESULTS: In-person, semi-structured interviews with seven service providers were completed, and thematic content analysis identified five themes which related to: participant suitability and screening (e.g., motivation, computer literacy and access); program content and modality acceptability (e.g., amount of content, look and feel); participant information and management (e.g., program engagement and progression); email communication (e.g., use of templates, appointments, rapport building), and; ongoing service integration (e.g., infrastructure, confidence in product). Overall experiences and perceptions of therapists were positive, notwithstanding barriers concerning assessment of participant suitability, participant management systems and low participant engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Key themes emphasized the benefits of Internet-based interventions for problem gambling, and suggested several areas for improvement. Results should inform the development of future treatments to enable flexible tailoring of interventions to individuals.

Locating gambling problems across a continuum of severity: Rasch analysis of the Quinte Longitudinal Study (QLS).

Addressing gambling problems across a continuum requires understanding of low severity problems, as well as severe levels of problem gambling or disorder. The aims of this study were thus to derive a map of how problematic gambling behaviours and harms are situated across a continuum, and identify the best available indicators of low severity problems to inform assessment and secondary prevention. This involved the Rasch analyses of baseline data from the Quinte Longitudinal Study (QLS); a community-based survey involving random-digit dialling of numbers around Belleville, Canada. Participants were n = 1305 adults with non-zero scores across 26-items from: the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI); the NORC DSM Screen for Gambling Problems (NODS); and the Problem and Pathological Gambling Measure (PPGM). Results indicated that item-level measures except chasing losses provided fit to the Rasch model, and most were clustered within a narrow region of the continuum which resembled addictive disorders. At the most severe end were mainly items about harms, while there were few items representing low severity levels (feeling guilty, betting more than one can afford, attempts to reduce gambling, gambling more than intended). There was Differential Item Functioning (DIF) for several indicators of low severity problems. The findings suggest that measures remain closely aligned with psychiatric models and are suited for discriminating across severe levels of problem gambling or addictive disorder. Although cognitive-affective and behavioural indicators comprise the best available indicators of low severity symptoms, there is an urgent need for improvements in conceptualisation and measurement.

GAMBLINGLESS: FOR LIFE study protocol: a pragmatic randomised trial of an online cognitive-behavioural programme for disordered gambling.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of disordered gambling worldwide has been estimated at 2.3%. Only a small minority of disordered gamblers seek specialist face-to-face treatment, and so a need for alternative treatment delivery models that capitalise on advances in communication technology, and use self-directed activity that can complement existing services has been identified. As such, the primary aim of this study is to evaluate an online self-directed cognitive-behavioural programme for disordered gambling (GamblingLess: For Life). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study will be a 2-arm, parallel group, pragmatic randomised trial. Participants will be randomly allocated to a pure self-directed (PSD) or guided self-directed (GSD) intervention. Participants in both groups will be asked to work through the 4 modules of the GamblingLess programme over 8 weeks. Participants in the GSD intervention will also receive weekly emails of guidance and support from a gambling counsellor. A total of 200 participants will be recruited. Participants will be eligible if they reside in Australia, are aged 18 years and over, have access to the internet, have adequate knowledge of the English language, are seeking help for their own gambling problems and are willing to take part in the intervention and associated assessments. Assessments will be conducted at preintervention, and at 2, 3 and 12 months from preintervention. The primary outcome is gambling severity, assessed using the Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale. Secondary outcomes include gambling frequency, gambling expenditure, psychological distress, quality of life and additional help-seeking. Qualitative interviews will also be conducted with a subsample of participants and the Guides (counsellors). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the Deakin University Human Research and Eastern Health Human Research Ethics Committees. Findings will be disseminated via report, peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12615000864527; results.

Early risk and protective factors for problem gambling: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.

This systematic review aimed to identify early risk and protective factors (in childhood, adolescence or young adulthood) longitudinally associated with the subsequent development of gambling problems. A systematic search of peer-reviewed and grey literature from 1990 to 2015 identified 15 studies published in 23 articles. Meta-analyses quantified the effect size of 13 individual risk factors (alcohol use frequency, antisocial behaviours, depression, male gender, cannabis use, illicit drug use, impulsivity, number of gambling activities, problem gambling severity, sensation seeking, tobacco use, violence, undercontrolled temperament), one relationship risk factor (peer antisocial behaviours), one community risk factor (poor academic performance), one individual protective factor (socio-economic status) and two relationship protective factors (parent supervision, social problems). Effect sizes were on average small to medium and sensitivity analyses revealed that the results were generally robust to the quality of methodological approaches of the included articles. These findings highlight the need for global prevention efforts that reduce risk factors and screen young people with high-risk profiles. There is insufficient investigation of protective factors to adequately guide prevention initiatives. Future longitudinal research is required to identify additional risk and protective factors associated with problem gambling, particularly within the relationship, community, and societal levels of the socio-ecological model.

Predictors of outcomes of psychological treatments for disordered gambling: A systematic review.

This systematic review aimed to synthesise the evidence relating to pre-treatment predictors of gambling outcomes following psychological treatment for disordered gambling across multiple time-points (i.e., post-treatment, short-term, medium-term, and long-term). A systematic search from 1990 to 2016 identified 50 articles, from which 11 socio-demographic, 16 gambling-related, 21 psychological/psychosocial, 12 treatment, and no therapist-related variables, were identified. Male gender and low depression levels were the most consistent predictors of successful treatment outcomes across multiple time-points. Likely predictors of successful treatment outcomes also included older age, lower gambling symptom severity, lower levels of gambling behaviours and alcohol use, and higher treatment session attendance. Significant associations, at a minimum of one time-point, were identified between successful treatment outcomes and being employed, ethnicity, no gambling debt, personality traits and being in the action stage of change. Mixed results were identified for treatment goal, while education, income, preferred gambling activity, problem gambling duration, anxiety, any psychiatric comorbidity, psychological distress, substance use, prior gambling treatment and medication use were not significantly associated with treatment outcomes at any time-point. Further research involving consistent treatment outcome frameworks, examination of treatment and therapist predictor variables, and evaluation of predictors across long-term follow-ups is warranted to advance this developing field of research.

Interventions for comorbid problem gambling and psychiatric disorders: Advancing a developing field of research.

Despite significant psychiatric comorbidity in problem gambling, there is little evidence on which to base treatment recommendations for subpopulations of problem gamblers with comorbid psychiatric disorders. This mini-review draws on two separate systematic searches to identify possible interventions for comorbid problem gambling and psychiatric disorders, highlight the gaps in the currently available evidence base, and stimulate further research in this area. In this mini-review, only 21 studies that have conducted post-hoc analyses to explore the influence of psychiatric disorders or problem gambling subtypes on gambling outcomes from different types of treatment were identified. The findings of these studies suggest that most gambling treatments are not contraindicated by psychiatric disorders. Moreover, only 6 randomized studies comparing the efficacy of interventions targeted towards specific comorbidity subgroups with a control/comparison group were identified. The results of these studies provide preliminary evidence for modified dialectical behavior therapy for comorbid substance use, the addition of naltrexone to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for comorbid alcohol use problems, and the addition of N-acetylcysteine to tobacco support programs and imaginal desensitisation/motivational interviewing for comorbid nicotine dependence. They also suggest that lithium for comorbid bipolar disorder, escitalopram for comorbid anxiety disorders, and the addition of CBT to standard drug treatment for comorbid schizophrenia may be effective. Future research evaluating interventions sequenced according to disorder severity or the functional relationship between the gambling behavior and comorbid symptomatology, identifying psychiatric disorders as moderators of the efficacy of problem gambling interventions, and evaluating interventions matched to client comorbidity could advance this immature field of study.

The Prevalence of Comorbid Personality Disorders in Treatment-Seeking Problem Gamblers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this study was to systematically review and meta-analyze the prevalence of comorbid personality disorders among treatment-seeking problem gamblers. Almost one half (47.9%) of problem gamblers displayed comorbid personality disorders. They were most likely to display Cluster B disorders (17.6%), with smaller proportions reporting Cluster C disorders (12.6%) and Cluster A disorders (6.1%). The most prevalent personality disorders were narcissistic (16.6%), antisocial (14.0%), avoidant (13.4%), obsessive-compulsive (13.4%), and borderline (13.1%) personality disorders. Sensitivity analyses suggested that these prevalence estimates were robust to the inclusion of clinical trials and self-selected samples. Although there was significant variability in reported rates, subgroup analyses revealed no significant differences in estimates of antisocial personality disorder according to problem gambling severity, measure of comorbidity employed, and study jurisdiction. The findings highlight the need for gambling treatment services to conduct routine screening and assessment of co-occurring personality disorders and to provide treatment approaches that adequately address these comorbid conditions.