science

The gaming industry broke all previous fundraising records at the 19th annual AGEM/AGA Golf Classic Presented by JCM Global, bringing in an astounding $155,000. Proceeds directly benefit research conducted by the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG). To date, the Golf Classic has raised more than $1.7 million to advance the NCRG’s important research.

“We are thrilled that the golf classic broke all records this year. The money will help NCRG find effective treatment for gambling disorder,” said NCRG executive director Russell Sanna.

Recovery from addiction can be a fluid process, with successful times and relapses. During her talk at the 13^th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction, Alexandre Laudet, Ph.D., stated that the science of addiction needs to be complemented with the science of recovery. This will help to increase our understanding of the components, patterns paths and predictors of long-term recovery.

Part two of the series recapping Dr. Howard Shaffer’s keynote address at the 25^th National Conference on Problem Gambling in Boston, Mass. To read part one of the Gambling Disorders 360° series, click here.

After laying the foundation for his presentation by outlining the theoretical revolutions that have defined our understanding of gambling disorders, Dr. Howard Shaffer then proposed that the next revolution in understanding gambling disorders will come from the way online gambling behavior can now be studied. Until recently, information about people’s gambling behavior has come almost exclusively from self-report (asking a person questions about their past gambling behaviors). Self-report is considered to be acceptably accurate by the scientific community, but it relies on recollections of individuals that may be influenced by a variety of factors such as desire to please interviewers or to downplay losses. For years these problems with self-reported data have presented a challenge to researchers studying gambling disorders. However, Dr. Shaffer suggested that new innovations in research methods will decrease the role of self-report and allow researchers to look directly at the gambling behavior of online gamblers.

Last week, the American Psychological Association (APA) sponsored a “Mental Health Blog Party” where they encouraged everyone to blog about what mental health means to them, either as individuals or mental health professionals. More than 130 blogs were posted and more than 500 people participated on Twitter (hashtag #mhblogday), with topics ranging from depression and bipolar disorder to advising parents on how to talk to their children about drug and alcohol abuse. One concept that resonated throughout the wide variety of topics was the public’s misperception and stigma associated with mental health issues. The same is true for the field of gambling disorders. Even though pathological gambling was not addressed by any blogger for the APA’s blog party, we believe it is important for it to be a part of the conversation.