Online self-guided interventions for the treatment of problem gambling 1. The peer-review process and all editorial decisions for this manuscript were managed by Professor Robert West, Editor-in-Chief of Addiction, due to the authors' roles on the Editorial Board of International Gambling Studies. View all notes

摘要

A minority of problem gamblers access formal treatment. Factors contributing to this low service utilization rate include geographical and time constraints, a desire to self-manage problems, shame, denial and concerns over privacy/confidentiality. The Internet is an effective medium for the delivery of health-related information, self-assessment, counselling, peer-based support and other therapeutic interventions. Consequently, online self-help programs should be offered as an alternative means to access treatment for gamblers reluctant to pursue traditional options. Benefits of the Internet include its capacity to provide a systematic delivery of cognitive-behavioural therapies, practical visual demonstrations of probabilities correcting erroneous beliefs, accessibility, convenience, cost-effectiveness, anonymity and privacy. We conducted a review of the literature to outline the advantages and current status of self-guided online interventions for gambling-related problem. Although this is a new field, empirical evidence indicates that online self-guided interventions are efficacious and represent an important treatment adjunct for individuals with gambling-related problems.View full textDownload full textKeywordsInternet, online, intervention, self-help, problem gambling, treatment, reviewRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14459795.2011.617764