Computer-based Training (Retraining) for People With Gambling Problems
Condition: Gambling, Pathological
MeSH terms: Gambling
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The study examines the efficacy and acceptance of a computer-based training program for
      individuals with problematic or pathological gambling behavior. The study intends to
      investigate the extent to which the computer-based training program leads to a significant
      reduction in pathological gambling (primary outcome) when compared to a control group. The
      study design is a randomized-controlled trial with one intervention group and one wait-list
      control group.
    

Detailed description: 
      The study examines the efficacy of a computer-based training 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 Pathological Gambling Adaptation of the
      Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsory Scale (PG-YBOCS total score) as a measure of the severity of
      pathological gambling symptoms. Secondary outcomes are further measures of gambling-related
      symptoms, such as the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), as well as rates of depression,
      measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 items depression module (PHQ-9), and rates
      of impulsivity, measured with the impulsivity subscale of the Eysenck's Impulsivity Inventory
      (I-7). The training is expected to lead to a significant reduction in
      problematic/pathological gambling behavior (PG-YBOCS) and all secondary outcomes when
      compared to a control group. The study design is a randomized-controlled trial with one
      intervention group and one wait-list control group and two assessment times (pre and post).
      The intervention group receives the download link for the training program directly following
      the baseline survey and can use the training over a period of 8 weeks, whereas the wait-list
      control group receives access to the training after completion of the post-survey.
    

Intervention name(s): Retraining (AAT)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The training program is based upon the approach-avoidance task (AAT) and can be easily performed on a computer, laptop or tablet. There is a total of 20 pictures, 10 slot-machine gambling related pictures and 10 neutral pictures that were already used in a prior study (Wittekind et al., submitted). The pictures appear on the computer screen and have to be either pushed or pulled. Pushing and pulling depends on a masked instruction (not related to the content of the pictures, but to the color of the frame). All gambling-related pictures are framed with the color that is instructed to be pushed, all neutral pictures are framed with the color that is instructed to be pulled.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: The study is a randomly controlled study with 2 conditions: Condition 1: Computer-based training program (retraining), condition 2: Wait-list control group (access to the training after the post-assessment).
Two assessments-points, the intervention period (pre-post) is eight weeks. Sociodemographic and pathological data are obtained with an internet survey on Unipark®.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Gambling, Problematic Gambling, Pathological Gambling