scholarly journals The Efficacy of Individual Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) for Concerned Significant Others of Problem Gamblers

2016 ◽  
pp. 189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Nayoski ◽  
David C. Hodgins
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abusers ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Significant Others ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Individual Treatment ◽  
Comprehensive Treatment ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Treatment Entry ◽  
Concerned Significant Others

Treatment options for concerned significant others (CSOs) of problem gamblers are limited, and available treatments focus exclusively on the distress of CSOs. Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is a comprehensive treatment program for CSOs of substance abusers that has been shown to reduce CSO distress in addition to the substance abuser's alcohol or drug behaviour. CRAFT capitalizes on the well-documented fact that family members have considerable influence on the substance abuser's decision to enter treatment. The present study modified the CRAFT approach into an individual treatment format for CSOs of problem gamblers and examined its efficacy in comparison to a CRAFT self-help workbook in a randomized clinical trial. A total of 31 participants were recruited. No statistical differences were found between the groups; however, effect sizes indicated that participants who received the CRAFT individual intervention seemed to have better outcomes than did those who received the CRAFT workbook (decreased days and dollars gambled by the gambler and improved CSO functioning). No differences between groups were found for gambler treatment entry rates over the follow-up period in terms of effect sizes. The results provide initial, but limited, support for the CRAFT approach delivered to CSOs of treatment-resistant problem gamblers in an individual treatment format compared with the self-help workbook format. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to gauge the efficacy of the CRAFT individual intervention compared with the CRAFT self-help workbook.

scholarly journals Applying the codependency concept to concerned significant others of problem gamblers: Words of caution

2014 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Calderwood ◽  
Anne Rajesparam
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Distortions ◽  
Significant Others ◽  
Stress Coping ◽  
Program Evaluations ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Competing Models ◽  
Concerned Significant Others ◽  
Coping Model ◽  
Financial Issues ◽  
And Training

Two competing models of understanding concerned significant others (CSOs) of people with addictions have emerged: codependency (CD) and stress-coping. In the context of CSOs of problem gamblers, some research has begun to examine the effectiveness of the stress-coping model, but no research to date has examined the utility of incorporating the CD concept into treatment planning. The purpose of this paper is to: critique the CD concept while highlighting possible differences between problem gambling and substance abuse (i.e., financial issues, the ability to hide the problem, cognitive distortions, and societal attitudes); identify important considerations when working with CSOs of problem gamblers; make recommendations for program managers regarding hiring and training practices; and recommend directions for research and in-depth program evaluations to assess what is actually occurring in existing practice.

scholarly journals Language toward Change in Virtual Self-Help Groups Predicts the Abstinence of Problem Gamblers: Automatic Change Talk Classifier (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Yokotani
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Options ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Change Talk ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Virtual Self ◽  
Virtual Meetings ◽  
Self Help Groups ◽  
Risk Of Relapse

BACKGROUND Although participation in physical meetings has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of relapse in gambling, the effects of participating in virtual meetings have rarely been reported. OBJECTIVE The present study aims to determine the effectiveness of virtual meetings for problem gamblers. METHODS Participants were 2,828 gamblers participating in the 99 virtual meetings; 360 had stopped gambling for more than three years (abstinent gamblers) and the other 2,468 had not yet stopped gambling (non-abstinent gamblers). Their 1,665,620 utterances were encoded by the automatic change talk classifier. RESULTS The abstinent gamblers participated in the meetings longer than non-abstinent gamblers (t = 8.26, P < .001). They had more change talks than non-abstinent gamblers (t = 6.46, P < .001). The classifier also showed the optimal treatment options responding to minute changes in their participation and utterances in the meetings. CONCLUSIONS Virtual meetings are effective for gamblers. Treatment via the Internet increases the generalizability of treatment because of the size and variety of the data.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document