Congruence Couple Therapy for Pathological Gambling: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Problem gambling affects individuals and their families.
• Couple-based therapies show promise for addiction treatment.
• Congruence Couple Therapy (CCT) is a novel approach for couples facing problem gambling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) for CCT in problem gambling.
• To identify methodological improvements for future RCTs.
• To evaluate the preliminary efficacy of CCT for problem gambling couples.

Main Methods:

• A multi-site pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 15 couples (30 participants).
• Couples were randomized to either 12-week CCT or a control condition (three brief check-ins).
• Outcomes measured at baseline, 12 weeks post-treatment, and 20-week follow-up included gambling symptoms, mental distress, and family functioning.

Main Results:

• High retention rates for both treatment (89%) and control (78%) groups.
• Significant improvements in gambling symptoms, mental distress, and family systems function for CCT group compared to controls at 12 and 20 weeks.
• Significant within-group improvements for CCT couples in mental distress, dyadic adjustment, and family systems function.

Conclusions:

• Congruence Couple Therapy (CCT) is a feasible and acceptable treatment for problem gambling couples.
• CCT demonstrates promising efficacy in reducing gambling symptoms and improving psychological and family well-being.
• A full-scale RCT with approximately 140 couples is recommended to confirm these findings.