Introducing and Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Gambling Disorder in Routine...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Clinical Psychology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Disseminating gambling disorder (GD) treatments at scale presents significant challenges within healthcare.
• Existing therapeutic models for GD require innovative approaches for broader accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a new internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) program for GD within routine Swedish addiction care.
• To assess the effectiveness, patient satisfaction, and real-world outcomes of iCBT for GD compared to traditional face-to-face therapy.

Main Methods:

• A nationally implemented iCBT program for GD was provided through the Swedish eHealth platform.
• A registry study compared outcomes of 218 iCBT patients with 216 patients receiving face-to-face treatment for GD.

Main Results:

• The iCBT program demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in gambling symptoms (Cohen d effect size=1.39).
• Patients reported high satisfaction with the iCBT program.
• Registry analysis indicated posttreatment outcomes for iCBT patients were similar to those receiving face-to-face treatment, even after controlling for comorbidities.

Conclusions:

• The therapist-supported iCBT program for GD is well-received and effective in reducing symptoms in routine care.
• iCBT shows comparable long-term registry outcomes to traditional face-to-face therapy for gambling disorder.
• Further research into treatment mechanisms and moderators for iCBT in GD is recommended.