Examining the presence of problem gambling awareness messages on college counseling center websites

Internet-Based Interventions for Problem Gambling: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

This study seeks to give an overview of academic research on internet-based interventions that are used to address problem gambling. The rate of treatment seeking has been demonstrated to be low across several research environments. This is in part because of the systemic barriers that treatment seekers face to accessing traditional face-to-face treatment. Making treatment resources for problem gambling available through the internet is one way to reduce the impact of those systemic barriers. The use of internet-based resources to address problem gambling has been growing, and a field of research evaluating it has developed as well. However, little has been done to summarize this collection of research.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to provide a scoping review of the use of internet-based interventions for problem gambling treatment and prevention to provide an understanding of the current state of the field.

METHODS

A scoping review was performed for 6 peer-reviewed research databases (Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, Social Science Abstracts, and Scopus) and 3 gray literature databases (MedEdPortal, Proquest: Dissertations, and OpenGrey). Article inclusion criteria were as follows: published over the 10-year period of 2007 to 2017, including an intervention for problem gambling, and involving the use of internet to deliver that intervention.

RESULTS

A total of 27 articles were found that met the review criteria. Studies were found from several different areas, with particularly strong representation for Australia, New Zealand, and Scandinavia. Cognitive behavioral therapy was the most common form of internet-based intervention. Internet-based interventions were generally shown to be effective in reducing problem gambling scores and gambling behaviors. A wide range of interventions that made use of internet resources included text-based interactions with counselors and peers, automated personalized and normative feedback on gambling behaviors, and interactive cognitive behavioral therapies. A lack of diversity in samples, little comparison with face-to-face interventions, and issues of changes in the treatment dynamic are identified as areas that require further investigation.

CONCLUSIONS

Internet-based interventions are a promising direction for treatment and prevention of problem gambling, particularly in reducing barriers to accessing professional help. The state of the current literature is sparse, and more research is needed for directly comparing internet-based interventions and their traditional counterparts.

Problem Gambling Messages on College Counseling Center Websites: An Over-Time and Cross-Country Comparison

Gambling problems remain more prevalent among college students than any other adult population. Among the different informational services available to students struggling with this issue, the convenience, anonymity, and accessibility of the college counseling center website (CCW) make this a particularly appealing resource. This updated assessment explored the nature and frequency of problem gambling messages on U.S. CCWs. and assessed whether differences existed between U.S. and U.K. sites. Results showed that problem gambling remains disproportionately underrepresented on U.S. CCWs compared to other mental health concerns. Furthermore, in only one instance-links to pamphlets-did findings indicate any over-time increase in website communications. Overall, <11 % of U.S. CCWs mentioned anything regarding this topic. When assessing U.K. CCWs, results were relatively consistent with U.S. CCWs. Specifically, while significantly more U.K. sites mentioned anything regarding problem gambling than U.S. CCWs, this was mostly limited to links to self-help groups and issue-specific websites. Given the substantial health, social, and financial consequences linked to problem gambling behaviors, universities must focus on incorporating more information about this issue on CCWs and pursue initiatives to promote this service.

Internet gambling in problem gambling college students

Internet gambling is popular in college students and associated with problem gambling behaviors. This study evaluated Internet gambling in 117 students participating in study evaluating brief interventions to reduce gambling; the brief interventions consisted of minimal advice, motivational enhancement therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (1-4 sessions). Compared to their counterparts who did not gamble via the Internet (n = 60), those who reported recent Internet gambling (n = 57) wagered in greater frequencies and amounts and reported missing school more often and more problems with family and anxiety due to gambling. Recent Internet gamblers demonstrated similar reductions in gambling over time and in response to the brief interventions as non-Internet gamblers. These data suggest that Internet gambling is common in problem gambling college students, and students who wager over the Internet can benefit from brief interventions.