Abstract
BackgroundDespite the success of gold standard cognitive-behavioral therapy for problem and disordered gambling, the majority of individuals with gambling problems do not seek or receive professional treatment. Thus, the development of less intrusive self-directed interventions has been encouraged. Bibliotherapy for problem gambling has shown promise, both alone and in combination with motivational interviews, but there is still a lack of online self-directed intervention research. The current randomized controlled trial proposes to assess the additive benefit of a single digital motivational interview delivered in conjunction with an online self-directed treatment program for problem gambling and gambling disorder.MethodsA two-arm randomized controlled trial will be conducted, wherein eligible participants (N=270) will be recruited across Canada via internet advertisements posted to several platforms. All participants will receive access to an online self-directed gambling intervention program. Participants will be randomly assigned to either complete the online program alone or receive a digital motivational interview, conducted through an online audioconferencing platform (i.e., Microsoft Teams) to supplement the online program. The primary outcomes of gambling severity, frequency, and expenditures will be tracked along with secondary outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, general distress, alcohol use, and online program user data) over a 24-month period. It is expected that participants in both groups will experience a reduction in symptoms across the board, but more substantial improvements will be observed in the group that receives a supplemental motivational interview.DiscussionThe results of this trial will expand upon prior gambling intervention research by informing best practices for the provision of online self-help for problem gambling.Trial registrationISRCTN ISRCTN13009468. Registered on 7 July 2020.
Highlights
Most adults worldwide occasionally participate in some form of gambling, and this remains a leisure activity for them
Objectives and major research questions The primary purpose of this study is to expand the research on self-guided internet interventions for disordered gambling and explore whether they can have a more pronounced benefit when paired with minimal supportive clinician contact provided digitally. This contact will come in the form of motivational interviewing, which has been successfully paired with bibliotherapy in multiple prior trials [12,13,14] but has yet to be paired with online self-directed interventions for problem gambling
Strengths and limitations Given that most individuals with gambling problems do not seek professional treatment, this intervention’s basis in a stepped-care model is a major strength
Summary
Background and rationale Most adults worldwide occasionally participate in some form of gambling, and this remains a leisure activity for them. Problem gambling often precedes financial strain, relationship difficulties, and criminal activity [2]. Those with GD experience a high level of comorbidity with mood, anxiety, personality, and other addictive disorders, as well as suicidality [3]. Despite the success of gold standard cognitive-behavioral therapy for problem and disordered gambling, the majority of individuals with gambling problems do not seek or receive professional treatment. Bibliotherapy for problem gambling has shown promise, both alone and in combination with motivational interviews, but there is still a lack of online self-directed intervention research. The current randomized controlled trial proposes to assess the additive benefit of a single digital motivational interview delivered in conjunction with an online self-directed treatment program for problem gambling and gambling disorder
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