Community Mental Health Journal

, Volume 50, Issue 6, pp 688–696 | Cite as

Exploring the Relationship Between Treatment Satisfaction, Perceived Improvements in Functioning and Well-Being and Gambling Harm Reduction Among Clients of Pathological Gambling Treatment Programs

  • Shannon M. Monnat
  • Bo Bernhard
  • Brett L. L. Abarbanel
  • Sarah St. John
  • Ashlee Kalina
Brief Report
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between treatment service quality, perceived improvement in social, functional, and material well-being and reduction in gambling behaviors among clients of Nevada state-funded pathological gambling treatment programs. Utilizing survey data from 361 clients from 2009 to 2010, analyses revealed that client satisfaction with treatment services is positively associated with perceived improvements in social, functional, and material well-being, abstinence from gambling, reduction in gambling thoughts and reduction in problems associated with gambling, even after controlling for various respondent characteristics. These findings can be useful to treatment program staff in managing program development and allocating resources.

Keywords

Pathological gambling Addiction Satisfaction Gambling abstinence Harm reduction 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This project was funded through the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. The authors would like to thank Tim Christenson, Jeffrey Marotta, Tim Fong, Adrienne Marco, Juan Ramirez, Paul Potter, and Keith Whyte for providing feedback on problem gambling measurement. We would also like to thank Edward W. Crossman, Jeff Kimmelman, Jason Pinegar, Giorgina Agrellas, Ellen King-McDaniel, and Eva Perez for assisting with data collection and other project activities.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Shannon M. Monnat
    • 1
  • Bo Bernhard
    • 2
  • Brett L. L. Abarbanel
    • 2
  • Sarah St. John
    • 3
  • Ashlee Kalina
    • 4
  1. 1.Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education, Population Research InstituteThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUSA
  2. 2.William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration and International Gaming InstituteUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasLas VegasUSA
  3. 3.Department of Sociology and International Gaming InstituteUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasLas VegasUSA
  4. 4.International Gaming InstituteUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasLas VegasUSA

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