Psychological online interventions for problem gambling and gambling disorder - A meta-analytic approach

Abstract

Objective: The Covid-19 pandemic has reignited discussions about the prevalence of and treatment options for problem gambling and gambling disorder (PGGD). Since affected persons seldom seek professional help, online interventions can improve accessibility. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of psychological online interventions on PGGD.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis and searched in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed experimental and quasi-experimental research published between 2010 and 2021. We calculated two meta-anlyses, one for treatment control comparisons (TCC), and one for pre-post-comparisons (PCC).

Results: We included six studies (ten TCC and n = 2076) in meta-analysis 1 and five studies (six PCC and n = 781) in meta-analysis 2. Online interventions turned out to be effective in both analyses with Hedges g = 0.41, 95% confidence interval = [0.22 to 0.60], p < .001, for meta-anaylsis 1 and Hegdes g = 1.28, 95% confidence interval = [0.85 to 1.71], p < .001, for meta-analysis 2.

Conclusions: We identified significant effects of online interventions on PGGD in both analyses, indicating the potential of online applications. We discuss methodological aspects and further research directions.

Keywords: Gambling addiction; Internet; Online intervention; Psychotherapy.