Community treatment for problem gambling: sex differences in outcome and process

Community Ment Health J. 2009 Dec;45(6):468-75. doi: 10.1007/s10597-009-9244-1. Epub 2009 Sep 20.

Abstract

This study compared sex differences in related treatment outcomes and processes in a community sample of outpatient problem gambling treatment-seekers. Participants attended approximately seven sessions of cognitive-behavioral treatment. Women were more likely to have a history of psychiatric comorbidity, prefer non-strategic/non-skill forms of gambling, and have a more rapid progression towards a gambling problem than did men. At the 6-month post-treatment follow-up, men were found to have improved to a significantly greater degree on measures of gambling severity and rates of abstinence in comparison to women. Moreover, men rated treatment components to be more helpful, whereas women found specific gambling-related treatment interventions (e.g., identification of high-risk situations, gambling beliefs and attitudes) to be less helpful. Implications for identifying treatment needs of women seeking problem gambling treatment are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Canada / epidemiology
  • Catchment Area, Health
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / methods*
  • Community Mental Health Services / organization & administration*
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / diagnosis
  • Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / epidemiology
  • Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / therapy*
  • Female
  • Gambling / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care
  • Sex Factors
  • Treatment Outcome