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Significant Others and Gambling Treatment Outcomes

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Abstract

Aims This study investigates the effect of significant others on treatment outcomes among treated pathological gamblers. Design This is a cohort study of individuals who received gambling treatment. Setting Oregon Problem Gambling Services (OPGS) for gamblers and their family members. Participants 4,410 adult gamblers who were discharged from treatment between August, 2001 and April, 2007. Measurements OPGS enrollment forms provided gambler gender, age, ethnicity, education level, employment status, gambling-related debt, and whether the gambler had a significant other at the time of enrollment. Termination forms provided information on the type of discharge (successful/unsuccessful) and treatment length (in days). Participation of the gambler’s significant other in the family treatment program was identified. Findings Results showed that age, ethnicity, gambling debt, and having a significant other are associated with the odds of successful treatment. Education level moderates the effect of having a significant other on treatment success. Age, ethnicity, education, employment, and having a significant other participate in treatment significantly impacted gamblers’ length in treatment. Conclusions These findings indicate that there may be a benefit to integrating significant others in gambling treatment methods. Significant others may act as social supports for gamblers seeking treatment, and involving loved ones in gambling treatment models may positively affect gambler treatment outcomes.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Thomas Moore, PhD of Herbert & Louis, LLC, Wilsonville, OR, for developing the data collection tools and supervising data collection. This work was conducted while Dr. Wisdom was at Oregon Health and Science University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA

    Prajkta J. Ingle & Garnett McMillan

  2. Problem Gambling Solutions, Inc., Portland, OR, USA

    Jeffrey Marotta

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA

    Jeffrey Marotta

  4. Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Garnett McMillan

  5. Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Jennifer P. Wisdom

  6. New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit #100, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Jennifer P. Wisdom

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  1. Prajkta J. Ingle
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  2. Jeffrey Marotta
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  3. Garnett McMillan
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  4. Jennifer P. Wisdom
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Correspondence to Jennifer P. Wisdom.

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Ingle, P.J., Marotta, J., McMillan, G. et al. Significant Others and Gambling Treatment Outcomes. J Gambl Stud 24, 381–392 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-008-9092-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-008-9092-x

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