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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treatment of Pathological Gambling

This study has been completed.
Sponsor:
Information provided by:
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT00158314
First received: September 7, 2005
Last updated: February 19, 2009
Last verified: February 2009
History of Changes
  Purpose

This study will determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of three different treatment strategies in reducing gambling behaviors.


Condition Intervention Phase
Gambling
 Behavioral: Referral to Gamblers Anonymous
Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral therapy
Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral self-help manual
 Phase 1

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Pathological Gambling

Resource links provided by NLM:

U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH):

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • Addiction Severity Index (ASI) gambling severity scores
  • time spent gambling
  • days of non-gambling

Secondary Outcome Measures:
  • Psychiatric symptoms
  • psychosocial functioning

Estimated Enrollment: 231
Study Start Date: March 1998
Study Completion Date: November 2003
Primary Completion Date: November 2003 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Detailed Description:

The number of pathological gamblers in the United States is steadily growing, leading to significant financial, psychological, and public health consequences. However, studies examining the effectiveness of treatment interventions for pathological gamblers are limited. This study will compare the effectiveness of three different treatment strategies, including referral to Gambler's Anonymous (GA), a self-help manual, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in reducing gambling behaviors and other problems related to pathological gambling.

This study will last 8 weeks. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three interventions. Group 1 participants will be referred to GA and 8 weeks of CBT, which focuses on teaching skills to help reduce gambling urges and develop alternative behaviors to gambling. Group 2 participants will be referred to GA and given an 8-week self-help manual. Group 3 participants will be referred to GA alone. Questionnaires will be used to assess participants' gambling behavior and any personal, legal, or health problems they may be experiencing. The questionnaires will be completed at study entry, study completion, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up visits.

Participants will be asked to identify at least one person who knows about their gambling problem and will have regular contact with them during the study and for at least 1 year This person will be interviewed at the beginning of the study, and at Months 2, 6 and 12. Researchers will ask contact persons about participants' gambling behaviors, personal relationships, legal problems, use of health care and mental health services, and how the participant can be contacted if he or she moves.

For information on related studies, please follow these links:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00118391

http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00618462

  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years and older
Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of pathological gambling
  • 3 or more gambling episodes within 60 days prior to study entry

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Inability to read English at the 5th grade level
  • Uncontrolled psychiatric condition
  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00158314

Locations
United States, Connecticut
University of Connecticut Health Center
Farmington, Connecticut, United States, 06030
Sponsors and Collaborators
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Investigators
Principal Investigator: Nancy M. Petry, PhD University of Connecticut Health Center
  More Information

No publications provided

Responsible Party: Nancy Petry, PhD, University of Connecticut Health Center
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00158314     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: R01 MH060417-01, DATR A2-AIR
Study First Received: September 7, 2005
Last Updated: February 19, 2009
Health Authority: United States: Federal Government

Keywords provided by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH):
Pathological gambling
Gambler's anonymous
Cognitive behavioral therapy
CBT

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Gambling
Impulse Control Disorders
Mental Disorders

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on June 18, 2013