Assessing the Relationship Between Gambling Disorder and Psychosis: Clinical Characteristics, Mechanisms, and Treatment

Session Title

Session 1-1-A: Treatment Stories

Presentation Type

Event

Location

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

Start Date

28-5-2019 9:15 AM

End Date

28-5-2019 10:40 AM

Disciplines

Clinical Psychology

Abstract

The proposed presentation will present the results of a series of studies investigating the co-morbidity of gambling disorder (GD) and psychotic disorders. Study 1 assessed the prevalence and clinical characteristics of treatment-seeking gamblers (N=349) who were diagnosed with comorbid psychosis. Study 2 assessed whether impulsivity mediated the association between co-morbid GD and psychosis and increased gambling severity. In Study 3, we examined the efficacy of working memory training in reducing gambling behaviors and impulsivity in individuals with comorbid schizophrenia and GD recruited from the community (N=83). The results found that 7.5% of the treatment-seeking sample and 11% of the community sample met criteria for both GD and psychotic disorders. Co-morbid GD and psychosis was associated with greater gambling severity and increased presence of additional psychiatric disorders including suicidality and addictive disorders. Impulsivity was found to mediate the association between co-morbid GD and psychosis and increased gambling severity. Participants who were randomly assigned to the working memory training condition endorsed a significant decline in gambling severity compared to active and passive control groups. There were no significant effects on impulsivity. The results highlight the complex treatment needs of this dual diagnosis population and may present a potential treatment option.

Keywords

gambling disorder, psychosis, co-morbidity, mediation, working memory training

Author Bios

Hyoun S. Kim: Hyoun S. Kim is a PhD Candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Calgary. His research interests include understanding the characteristics and mechanisms of co-morbid gambling and other psychiatric disorders. Additional research interests include assessing shared mechanisms between substance and behavioral addiction as well a developing a transdiagnsotic treatment for addictive disorders.

Briana D. Cassetta: Briana D. Cassetta is currently completing her pre-doctoral residency in Clinical Neuropsychology through Vancouver Coastal Health. She completed her PhD research in Clinical Psychology at the University of Calgary. Her research interests include examining how neurocognitive and social cognitive processes are impacted by neuropsychiatric and neurological illnesses. She is also interested in studying interventions designed to remediate cognitive deficits.

Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen: Dr. Tomfohr-Madsen is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Calgary. Her research interests include development and testing of interventions to ameliorate mental and physical health symptoms in vulnerable populations.

Hermano Tavares: Dr. Tavares is an associate professor of psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo. He is also the director of the Gambling Outpatient Program. His research focuses on the etiology and treatment of behavioral addictions and impulse control disorders.

Funding Sources

None

Competing Interests

None

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May 28th, 9:15 AM May 28th, 10:40 AM

Assessing the Relationship Between Gambling Disorder and Psychosis: Clinical Characteristics, Mechanisms, and Treatment

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

The proposed presentation will present the results of a series of studies investigating the co-morbidity of gambling disorder (GD) and psychotic disorders. Study 1 assessed the prevalence and clinical characteristics of treatment-seeking gamblers (N=349) who were diagnosed with comorbid psychosis. Study 2 assessed whether impulsivity mediated the association between co-morbid GD and psychosis and increased gambling severity. In Study 3, we examined the efficacy of working memory training in reducing gambling behaviors and impulsivity in individuals with comorbid schizophrenia and GD recruited from the community (N=83). The results found that 7.5% of the treatment-seeking sample and 11% of the community sample met criteria for both GD and psychotic disorders. Co-morbid GD and psychosis was associated with greater gambling severity and increased presence of additional psychiatric disorders including suicidality and addictive disorders. Impulsivity was found to mediate the association between co-morbid GD and psychosis and increased gambling severity. Participants who were randomly assigned to the working memory training condition endorsed a significant decline in gambling severity compared to active and passive control groups. There were no significant effects on impulsivity. The results highlight the complex treatment needs of this dual diagnosis population and may present a potential treatment option.