In video games, a loot box is a consumable virtual item which can be redeemed. Studies have shown a link between loot box engagement and gambling problems. However, the causal connections are unknown. Dr. Clark will report on his longitudinal research that traced the migration from video games to gambling.
SPEAKERS FOR SANDIA CONFERENCE 2024 Brain Connections: Start Talking with Clients about Gambling and the Brain Iris Balodis, PhD, McMaster University and Deirdre Querney, MSW, City of Hamilton's Alcohol, […]
Early detection and intervention could make a big difference in helping people with gambling disorder, which often goes undiagnosed and untreated. However, there is low awareness about how or why to expand screening for Gambling Disorder. One U.S. national study from Harvard Medical School reported that although none of those who were identified as meeting lifetime diagnostic criteria for Gambling Disorder reported seeking treatment for those problems, about half were involved in behavioral treatment for other psychiatric problems. This tells us that expanding screening for Gambling Disorder could improve identification of gambling problems and increase the rate of treatment-seeking among people with this disorder.
