Margaret Tobin Centre, Flinders Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Flinders University. GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia.
Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2010 Oct;44(10):911-20. doi: 10.3109/00048674.2010.493502.
Recent prevalence studies in Australia, the USA and Canada have estimated 1-2% of the adult population meet the diagnostic criteria for problem or pathological gambling. The Statewide Gambling Therapy Service (SGTS) provides treatment for problem gamblers in key metropolitan and rural regions in South Australia. The aims of this study were two-fold: to analyse the short and mid-term outcomes following treatment provided by SGTS and to identify factors associated with treatment drop-out.
A cohort of treatment seeking problem gamblers was recruited through SGTS in 2008. Repeated outcome measures included problem gambling screening, gambling related cognitions and urge. Treatment drop-out was defined as participants attending three or less treatment sessions, whilst potential predictors of drop-out included perceived social support , anxiety and sensation-seeking traits.
Of 127 problem gamblers who participated in the study, 69 (54%) were males with a mean age of 43.09 years (SD = 12.65 years) and with 65 (52%) reporting a duration of problem gambling greater than 5 years. Follow up time for 50% of participants was greater than 8.9 months and, overall, 41 (32%) participants were classified as treatment drop-outs. Results indicated significant improvement over time on all outcome measures except alcohol use for both treatment completers and drop-outs, although to a lesser extent for the treatment drop-out group. A significant predictor of treatment drop-out was sensation-seeking traits.
These results will inform future treatment planning and service delivery, and guide research into problem gambling including aspects of treatment drop-out.
最近在澳大利亚、美国和加拿大进行的流行性病学研究估计，有 1-2%的成年人符合问题或病态赌博的诊断标准。全州赌博治疗服务机构（SGTS）为南澳大利亚州主要城市和农村地区的问题赌徒提供治疗。这项研究的目的有两个：分析 SGTS 提供治疗后的短期和中期效果，并确定与治疗脱落相关的因素。
通过 SGTS，2008 年招募了一组寻求治疗的问题赌徒。重复的结果测量包括问题赌博筛查、与赌博相关的认知和冲动。治疗脱落被定义为参与者参加了三到三次以下的治疗，而潜在的脱落预测因素包括感知社会支持、焦虑和感觉寻求特质。
在参与研究的 127 名问题赌徒中，69 名（54%）为男性，平均年龄为 43.09 岁（SD=12.65 岁），65 名（52%）报告的赌博问题持续时间超过 5 年。50%的参与者的随访时间大于 8.9 个月，总体而言，有 41 名（32%）参与者被归类为治疗脱落者。结果表明，无论是治疗完成者还是脱落者，除了酒精使用外，所有结果测量都随时间显著改善，尽管治疗脱落组的改善程度较小。治疗脱落的一个显著预测因素是感觉寻求特质。
这些结果将为未来的治疗计划和服务提供信息，并指导包括治疗脱落方面的问题赌博研究。
