Session Title

Session 1-2-A: Identifying and Assisting Problem Gamblers

Presentation Type

Event

Location

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

Start Date

28-5-2019 11:00 AM

End Date

28-5-2019 12:25 PM

Disciplines

Clinical Psychology | Health Psychology | Substance Abuse and Addiction

Abstract

The purpose of this presentation is to address research on the effectiveness of problem gambling interventions and offer insights for new directions. Dr. Martens has led two clinical trials over the past five years that have integrated technology into problem gambling interventions for young adults. In the first trial (Martens et al., 2015), he found that a computerized personalized feedback intervention reduced gambling problems among at-risk young adult gamblers. In the second trial (Martens et al., in preparation), he found that an intervention delivered via cell phone and text-message had an indirect effect on gambling-related problems. Although effect sizes for these interventions were in the small to medium range, both interventions were relatively inexpensive and easy to implement. He will discuss these findings, how they fit into the context of prior brief intervention efforts in the field (e.g., Cunningham et al., 2009; Hodgins et al., 2009; Petry et al., 2008), how they may be able to scale up and be disseminated widely, and how they inform potential future directions for reducing problem gambling among young adults and other vulnerable populations. He will also address some of the unique challenges associated with integrating technology into brief intervention efforts.

Keywords

Problem Gambling, Brief Interventions, College Students, Motivational Interviewing

Author Bios

Matthew P. Martens is the Faculty Fellow for Academic Programs in the Office of the Provost at the University of Missouri, where he holds the rank of full professor. He completed his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri in 2002. He has over 100 peer reviewed journal article and been awarded approximately $7 million in external funding as either a principal or co-investigator, including two awards supporting clinical trials for problem gambling.

Funding Sources

I received two research grants from the National Center for Responsible Gaming

Competing Interests

None.

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May 28th, 11:00 AM May 28th, 12:25 PM

Interventions for Problem and Pathological Gambling: Status, Innovations, and Challenges

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

The purpose of this presentation is to address research on the effectiveness of problem gambling interventions and offer insights for new directions. Dr. Martens has led two clinical trials over the past five years that have integrated technology into problem gambling interventions for young adults. In the first trial (Martens et al., 2015), he found that a computerized personalized feedback intervention reduced gambling problems among at-risk young adult gamblers. In the second trial (Martens et al., in preparation), he found that an intervention delivered via cell phone and text-message had an indirect effect on gambling-related problems. Although effect sizes for these interventions were in the small to medium range, both interventions were relatively inexpensive and easy to implement. He will discuss these findings, how they fit into the context of prior brief intervention efforts in the field (e.g., Cunningham et al., 2009; Hodgins et al., 2009; Petry et al., 2008), how they may be able to scale up and be disseminated widely, and how they inform potential future directions for reducing problem gambling among young adults and other vulnerable populations. He will also address some of the unique challenges associated with integrating technology into brief intervention efforts.