Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Pathological and problem gambling in substance use treatment
T2 - a systematic review and meta-analysis
AU - Cowlishaw, Sean
AU - Merkouris, Stephanie
AU - Chapman, Anna
AU - Radermacher, Harriet
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - Pathological and problem gambling refer to a class of disorders, including those meeting criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis, and others comprising a spectrum of severity defined by significant personal and social harm, that may be common in substance use treatment but are frequently unrecognised. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of available evidence indicating the prevalence of such gambling disorders in substance use treatment. It provides the best available estimates from studies of clinical samples of substance users, and suggests around 14% of patients that demonstrate comorbid pathological gambling. Around 23% suffer conditions along the broader spectrum of problem gambling. The review also highlights important limitations of existing evidence, including scant data on current versus lifetime comorbidity, as well as reliance on convenience samples and self-administered measures of gambling problems. Notwithstanding a concomitant need for caution when applying these results, the findings suggest a strong need to identify and manage gambling comorbidity in substance use treatment. Strategies for identification of gambling disorders, and therapies that may provide useful adjunctive interventions in substance use treatment are discussed.
AB - Pathological and problem gambling refer to a class of disorders, including those meeting criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis, and others comprising a spectrum of severity defined by significant personal and social harm, that may be common in substance use treatment but are frequently unrecognised. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of available evidence indicating the prevalence of such gambling disorders in substance use treatment. It provides the best available estimates from studies of clinical samples of substance users, and suggests around 14% of patients that demonstrate comorbid pathological gambling. Around 23% suffer conditions along the broader spectrum of problem gambling. The review also highlights important limitations of existing evidence, including scant data on current versus lifetime comorbidity, as well as reliance on convenience samples and self-administered measures of gambling problems. Notwithstanding a concomitant need for caution when applying these results, the findings suggest a strong need to identify and manage gambling comorbidity in substance use treatment. Strategies for identification of gambling disorders, and therapies that may provide useful adjunctive interventions in substance use treatment are discussed.
KW - Gambling
KW - Comorbidity
KW - Substance use treatment
KW - Prevalence
KW - Systematic review
U2 - 10.1016/j.jsat.2013.08.019
DO - 10.1016/j.jsat.2013.08.019
M3 - Journal article
VL - 46
SP - 98
EP - 105
JO - Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
JF - Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
SN - 0740-5472
IS - 2
ER -