Treatment and Recovery

Abstinence from gambling has been the only acknowledged treatment goal in most interventions for gambling disorders. However, a new study from Australia challenges the notion that abstaining from gambling is the only path to recovery. Wendy Slutske, Ph.D., of the University of Missouri-Columbia, discusses research that found 90 percent of those in the recovery group participated in some form of gambling in the past year. She explores the implications of this finding for treatment and interventions.

Research has shown that a therapeutic option known as Motivational Interviewing has had success when used by alcohol and drug counselors. But what about gambling disorders? The December 2010 edition of Issues & Insights focuses on the origins of motivational interviewing, its principles and how David Hodgins, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Calgary in Canada, is testing this approach with those diagnosed with a gambling disorder.

Critical information about how people recover from gambling addiction is highlighted in the second volume of the NCRG's monograph series, titled "Roads to Recovery from Gambling Addiction." This publication examines major scientific studies on various aspects of recovery, including formal treatment, self-help options and relapse. It includes research summaries on the following topics:

Titled “What Clinicians Need to Know about Gambling Disorders,” the seventh volume fo the NCRG's monograph series serves as an essential training guide necessary for any clinician to recognize, understand and treat gambling disorders. It includes in-depth research summaries from: