AUTHOR=Jiménez-Murcia Susana , Del Pino-Gutiérrez Amparo , Fernández-Aranda Fernando , Granero Roser , Hakänsson Anders , Tárrega Salomé , Valdepérez Ana , Aymamí Neus , Gómez-Peña Mónica , Moragas Laura , Baño Marta , Sauvaget Anne , Romeu Maria , Steward Trevor , Menchón José M. 

TITLE=Treatment Outcome in Male Gambling Disorder Patients Associated with Alcohol Use

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00465

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00465

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Aims:</bold> The primary objective of this study was to analyze the association between alcohol consumption and short-term response to treatment (post intervention) in male patients with gambling disorder enrolled in a group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program.</p><p><bold>Methods</bold>: The sample consisted of 111 male individuals with a diagnosis of Gambling Disorder, with a mean age of 45 years (<italic>SD</italic> = 12.2). All participants were evaluated by a comprehensive assessment battery and assigned to CBT groups of 10–14 patients attending 16 weekly outpatient sessions lasting 90 min each.</p><p><bold>Results</bold>: The highest mean pre- and post-therapy differences were recorded for the alcohol risk/dependence group on the obsessive/compulsive and anxiety dimensions of the SCL-90-R. As regards the presence of relapses and dropouts over the course of the CBT sessions, the results show a significant association with moderate effect size: patients with risk consumption or alcohol dependence were more likely to present poor treatment outcomes.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> Alcohol abuse was frequent in GD, especially in patients with low family income and high accumulated debts. High levels of somatization and high overall psychopathology (measured by the SCL-90-R) were associated with increased risk of alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse was also associated with poor response to treatment.</p>