Behavioral addictions are incompletely understood with respect to their underlying etiologies. This incomplete understanding may contribute to the frequent relapse and dropout rate often observed with behavioral addictions. The present state-of-the-art review aimed to review the literature that explored sociodemographic and clinical factors that link to poor treatment responses. Despite multiple studies, the definitions and evaluations of relapse and dropout are heterogeneous, complicating comparisons across studies. A scientific consensus on the conceptualization of both terms would help to better understand psychological features linked to treatment outcomes in behavioral addictions.
Keywords: behavioral addictions; dropout; gambling disorder; relapse; treatment outcome.