Hawker C O, Merkouris S S, Thomas A C, Rodda S N, Cowlishaw S, Dowling N A
School of Psychology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia.
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, 0627, New Zealand.
J Gambl Stud. 2025 Jun;41(2):593-613. doi: 10.1007/s10899-024-10373-9. Epub 2025 Jan 9.
Smartphones can extend the reach of evidence-based gambling treatment services, yet the general acceptability of app-delivered gambling interventions remains unknown. This study examined the general acceptability and use of app-delivered gambling interventions, and predictors of both, among 173 Australian adults with a lifetime gambling problem (48.5% male, M = 46.4 years) recruited from an online panel. Overall, 55.5% of the sample had a positive attitude toward app-delivered gambling interventions, 8.1% had a neutral attitude, and 36.4% had a negative attitude. Furthermore, one in five participants (20.8%) reported using an app-delivered gambling intervention in their lifetime. Four dimensions of acceptability were examined, wherein 78.6% of participants endorsed confidence in the effectiveness of app-delivered gambling interventions and 66.5% perceived anonymity benefits, while 48.6% endorsed scepticism (e.g., potential to increase isolation) and 69.4% perceived technology-related threats (e.g., difficulty learning and applying app-based strategies). Positive predictors of acceptability and use included younger age, rural/regional residence, gambling expenditure, problem gambling severity, gambling harms, and use of professional support. Acceptability did not increase the likelihood of using app-delivered gambling interventions, however, which may suggest a translation gap. The findings support continued investment into the development and evaluation of app-delivered gambling interventions, with a focus on enhancing engagement and uptake. Uptake could be improved by promoting the effectiveness and anonymity of evidence-based app-delivered gambling interventions, particularly among receptive audiences (young people, rural/regional residents, those with greater problem gambling severity), while redressing scepticism and perceived technology-related threats among vulnerable subgroups (those with greater gambling expenditure and gambling-related harm).
智能手机可以扩大循证赌博治疗服务的覆盖范围,但通过应用程序提供的赌博干预措施的总体可接受性仍然未知。本研究调查了通过应用程序提供的赌博干预措施的总体可接受性和使用情况,以及173名从在线小组招募的有终身赌博问题的澳大利亚成年人(48.5%为男性,平均年龄46.4岁)中这两者的预测因素。总体而言,55.5%的样本对通过应用程序提供的赌博干预措施持积极态度,8.1%持中立态度,36.4%持消极态度。此外,五分之一的参与者(20.8%)报告在其一生中使用过通过应用程序提供的赌博干预措施。研究考察了可接受性的四个维度,其中78.6%的参与者认可对通过应用程序提供的赌博干预措施有效性的信心,66.5%的参与者认为有匿名的好处,而48.6%的参与者认可怀疑态度(例如,可能增加孤立感),69.4%的参与者认为存在与技术相关的威胁(例如,学习和应用基于应用程序的策略有困难)。可接受性和使用的积极预测因素包括年龄较小、居住在农村/地区、赌博支出、问题赌博严重程度、赌博危害以及使用专业支持。然而,可接受性并没有增加使用通过应用程序提供的赌博干预措施的可能性,这可能表明存在转化差距。研究结果支持继续投资于通过应用程序提供的赌博干预措施的开发和评估,重点是提高参与度和使用率。可以通过宣传循证的通过应用程序提供的赌博干预措施的有效性和匿名性来提高使用率,特别是在接受度较高的受众(年轻人、农村/地区居民、问题赌博严重程度较高的人)中,同时消除弱势群体(赌博支出较高和与赌博相关危害较大的人)中的怀疑态度和与技术相关的威胁认知。
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