Pharmacological treatments have also been employed in the treatment of GD, although the number of randomized controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of these interventions is limitedġ2. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has become the most common psychological intervention for treating GD and has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing problem gambling behaviorĩ. Furthermore, considering GD a behavioral addiction raises issues regarding the perceived dangerousness of the disorder as well as attitudes toward the chances of recovery and responsibility for creating and solving gambling-related problemsĪlthough gambling represents a harmless activity for most people who gamble, patients with GD are often characterized by cognitive distortions, such as illusions of control, impulsive behavior, and dysfunctional personality traits (for example, high harm avoidance or high novelty seeking)ĥ. Numerous studies find analogous characteristics between the two in reference to diagnostic criteria, symptomatology, genetic vulnerabilities, high rates of comorbidity, and their association with biological markers and cognitive deficitsģ. The recategorization of GD was essentially due to the similarities between this clinical condition and substance use disorders. GD was reclassified recently into the “Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders” group of theĭiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)ġ, a first for a behavioral addiction. Gambling disorder (GD) is a psychiatric condition featuring recurrent, maladaptive gambling behavior that leads to clinically significant distress. Risk factors and potential future lines of research are addressed.

In this brief overview, we provide a report on the state of pharmacological and psychological treatments for gambling disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy has become the most common psychological intervention for treating gambling problems, and it is effective in reducing gambling behavior. Patients with GD often present cognitive distortions and specific personality traits, making treatment more difficult.

Although the number of randomized controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments is limited, some pharmacological treatments, notably opiate antagonists, have been employed in the treatment of GD. GD is characterized by recurrent, maladaptive gambling behavior that results in clinically significant distress. Gambling disorder (GD) has been reclassified recently into the “Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders” category of theĭiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), a landmark occurrence for a behavioral addiction.

Gambling psychological intervention