NCT03372226

Computer-based Self-Help Program for People With Gambling Problems

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 155 (actual)
• Sponsor: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The study examines the effectiveness of a computer-based self-help-program for individuals with problematic or pathological gambling behavior.The main objective of the study is to investigate the extent to which the online program leads to a significant reduction in pathological gambling (primary outcome), depression and gambling-specific dysfunctional thoughts. The program is expected to lead to a significant reduction regarding all measures when compared to a control group. The study is conducted as a randomized-controlled trial with one intervention group and one wait-list control group.

Detailed description

The study examines the effectiveness of a computer-based self-help-program for individuals with problematic and pathological gambling behavior. The main objective of the study is to investigate the extent to which the online program leads to a significant reduction in pathological gambling. The primary outcome is the PG-Y-BOCS as a measure of the severity of pathological gambling symptoms. Secondary outcomes are rates of depression, measured with the PHQ-9 as well as gambling-specific cognitive biases, measured with the GABS. The program is expected to lead to a significant reduction in problematic/pathological gambling behavior (PG-Y-BOCS) and also to declines in both depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) and gambling-specific cognitive biases (GABS). The study is conducted as a randomized-controlled trial with one intervention group and one wait-list control group. The intervention group receives the login data directly following the baseline survey and can use the program over a period of 8 weeks, whereas the wait-list control group receives access to the program after completion of the post-survey.

Conditions

• Gambling, Pathologic

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Online self-help program	The program consists of 10 modules with many interactional exercises and homework-sheets. Themes that are addressed in the online-program are for example self-esteem, sleep hygiene, problem solving strategies, mindfulness-based relaxation and attention exercises as well as gambling-specific topics such as money/debt management and impulse control. In addition, the user learns to modify negative and gambling-specific thought distortions, to integrate positive activities into his/her daily routine, strategies to deal with the urge to play as well as ways to regulate debts and to prevent relapse.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-01-18
• Primary completion: 2018-12-09
• Completion: 2018-12-09
• First posted: 2017-12-13
• Last updated: 2019-04-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany