Self-Directed Gambling Changes: Trajectory of Problem Gambling Severity in Absence of Treatment
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Self‑Directed Gambling Changes: Trajectory of Problem Gambling Severity in Absence of Treatment Vladyslav Kushnir1,2 · Alexandra Godinho1,3 · David C. Hodgins4 · Christian S. Hendershot1,5,6 · John A. Cunningham1,6,7
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018
Abstract Most problem gamblers do not seek formal treatment, recovering on their own through cognitive re-appraisal or self-help strategies. Although barriers to treatment have been extensively studied, there is a paucity of research on self-directed changes in problem gambling and very few studies have examined these changes prospectively. The aim of this study was to examine the trajectory of gambling severity and behavior change over an 18-month period, among a sample of non-treatment seeking/attending problem gamblers recruited from the community (N = 204) interested in quitting or reducing gambling. Separate mixed effects models revealed that in absence of formal treatment, significant reductions in gambling severity, frequency, and amount gambled could be observed over the course of a 6 to 9-month period and that changes experienced within the first 12 months were maintained for an extended 6 months. Problem gambling severity at baseline was significantly associated with changes in severity over time, such that participants with more severe gambling problems demonstrated greater reductions in their gambling severity over time. A total of 11.1% of participants gambled within a low-risk threshold at 18 months, although 28.7% of the sample reported consecutive gambling severity scores below Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s1089 9-018-9769-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Vladyslav Kushnir [email protected] 1
Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada
2
Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
3
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
4
Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
5
Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
6
Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
7
Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
13
J Gambl Stud
problem levels for the duration of 1 year or longer. The findings suggest that among problem gamblers motivated to quit or reduce their gambling, significant self-directed changes in gambling severity can occur over a relatively short time. Additional prospective studies are needed to document the role of specific self-help tools or thought processes in exacting gambling changes. Keywords Self-directed change · Natural recovery · Gambling severity · Problem gambling · Prospective study
Introduction Self-directed change or natural recovery from problem gambling is a
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