NCRG Honors David Hodgins With The 2010 Scientific Achievement Award

The NCRG has named David C. Hodgins, Ph.D., professor of psychology and adjunct professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Calgary, the recipient of the 2010 Scientific Achievement Award in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of disordered gambling research. The award was presented at a luncheon on Nov. 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino during the11thannual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction.

Hodgins’ work focuses on three interrelated lines of cutting-edge research in the area of gambling disorders – natural history research, the design and evaluation of brief interventions, and the study of the precipitants of relapse to problem gambling. His work on natural recovery is widely cited and provides insight into the process of untreated remissions from gambling problems. His research on brief treatment interventions is recognized around the world and is listed as an evidence-based treatment by the U.S. Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. Hodgins’ third area of gambling research focuses on relapse to gambling problems, in which he developed and evaluated relapse prevention materials for clinical use. A 1999 grant from the National Center for Responsible Gaming supported his research on relapse.

Recipients of the Scientific Achievement Award are selected by an independent committee of distinguished leaders in the field of addictions and gambling research. Members of the 2010 committee include Jon E. Grant, J.D., M.D., M.P.H., professor of psychiatry, University of Minnesota; Rina Gupta, Ph.D., assistant professor in school/applied child psychology, McGill University; Robert Ladouceur, Ph.D., professor emeritus of psychology, Laval University; Craig Nagoshi, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, Arizona State University; and Harold Wynne, Ph.D., president, Wynne Resources.

To view past recipients of the NCRG’s Scientific Achievement Award, visit theNCRG website.

Continue to visitGambling Disorders 360°for daily updates, on-site reporting about the sessions and audio interviews from leading researchers and industry representatives.

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NCRG Conference: Gambling And Diverse Populations – Issues In Prevalence, Treatment And Responsible Gaming

The11thannual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addictionheld a plenary session today that looked at problem gambling among diverse populations, as problem and pathological gambling prevalence rates vary between racial/ethnic groups. One of the presenters, Renee Cunningham-Williams, Ph.D., M.P.E, LCSW, associate professor at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, applauded the NCRG and the Institute for holding a session on problem gambling and diverse populations, as it isn’t a topic that is frequently presented at conferences.

Carlos Blanco, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, began the session by discussing a study titled “Disordered Gambling Among Racial and Ethnic Groups in the US: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions,” which was published inCNS Spectrums. This study was the first national study to focus on racial/ethnic differences in gambling disorders. Researchers investigated the prevalence and conditional prevalence of gambling disorders and compared sociodemographic and clinical characteristics among disordered gamblers from racial/ethnic groups.

The study concluded:

  • Prevalence of disordered gambling differs across racial/ethnic groups.
  • African-Americans and Hispanics face increased levels of socioeconomic adversity than non-Hispanic Whites.
  • Despite social adversity, African-Americans and Hispanics are less likely to present substance use disorders.
  • Similarities in symptom patterns, course and treatment seeking rates suggest no racial or cultural impact on the presentation of pathological gambling.

Following Dr. Blanco, Dr. Cunningham-Williams discussed the effectiveness of screening and diagnosis methods of gambling disorders for minority populations. She presented a study titled, “Racial/Ethnic Variation in the Reliability of DSM-IV Pathological Gambling Disorder,” which was published in theJournal of Nervous and Mental Disease.

The study aimed to assess racial/ethnic variation in the reliability of self-reported lifetime pathological gambling disorder. The researchers recruited 15- to 85-year-old Caucasians and African (American/other minorities) who had gambled more than five times in their lifetimes. The study participants were interviewed two times, with interview sessions held one week apart. Dr. Cunningham-Williams found that prevalence symptoms of gambling disorders tend to decrease during the second interview, and African-Americans/other minorities of mid-age or over 65 provided less reliable answers than Caucasians. When asked why there was a discrepancy, study participants stated that they misunderstood the question during the first interview, did not pay attention to the question or the interviewer miscoded the answer.

Dr. Blanco’s studyandDr. Cunningham-Williams’ studyare available online.

Continue to visitGambling Disorders 360°for daily updates, on-site reporting about the sessions and audio interviews from leading researchers and industry representatives.

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NCRG Conference: Toward A Treatment Standard For Pathological Gambling – Behavioral And Pharmacological Approaches

A Sunday-evening breakout session at the11thannual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addictionfocused on the effectiveness of behavioral strategies and pharmacological (drug) treatments for disordered gambling.

David Hodgins, Ph.D., professor of psychology and adjunct professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Calgary, looked at several studies to determine if cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and brief self-directed treatment (verbalizing an intention to change gambling behavior) are effective treatments for pathological gambling. These effectiveness trials examined whether CBT and brief self-directed treatment work in real-world settings, and if so, are there ways to make them more efficient or more effective.

Dr. Hodgins found that if people are provided with the right support, they will make the right choices about gambling and move towards an appropriate goal. He also stated that verbalizing an intention to change often leads to a public and personal obligation to change one’s behavior.

While researchers are moving in the right direction in terms of offering better treatments, Dr. Hodgins said that treatment system issues are largely unaddressed and ways to get more people to participate in self-directed recovery or attend treatment need to be addressed.

Jon Grant, J.D., M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota and co-director of the Impulse Control Disorders Clinic at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, examined several pharmacological treatments for pathological gambling. While no medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of pathological gambling, he said that there are many promising treatments to help with gambling urges and cravings.

Additionally, Dr. Grant said that comorbid conditions, such as anxiety or bipolar disorders, often contribute to gambling problems and medications that treat these conditions also may help to treat pathological gambling cravings.

Continue to visitGambling Disorders 360°for daily updates, on-site reporting about the sessions and audio interviews from leading researchers and industry representatives.

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NCRG Conference: Workshop For Young Investigators

Prior to the start of the11thannual Conference on Gambling and Addiction, Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of epidemiology in the department of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Catherine Striley, Ph.D., M.P.E., M.S.W., ACSW, LCSW, assistant director of the master in psychiatric epidemiology program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, held a workshop to provide young investigators with advice for career development.

“Get a [mentor] if you don’t have one!” said Dr. Cottler. Dr. Striley added that Dr. Cottler has been her mentor since 2002, and they stressed the importance of finding a mentor who will make the mentee a priority, provide detailed feedback and be energetic while helping the mentee advance his or her career. Dr. Cottler added that the young investigators should find a mentor who will invest them. She also referenced a guide titled,“Mentoring: A Guide for Drug Abuse Researchers,”which was published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Drs. Cottler and Striley said that it is also the responsibility of the mentees to tell their mentors exactly what they need from them. They also said that peer-to-peer mentor programs are beneficial, as they help to keep research projects moving forward.

During the session, the group also discussed managing work/life balance and high pressure situations, handling negotiations and forming research collaborations. Drs. Cottler and Striley provided advice for writing research grants, and stated that the new investigators should not be afraid to write grants – they will get better as they write more. Drs. Cottler and Striley said that even when they get discouraged, the new investigators should “stick it out” because they are the future of gambling research.

Drs. Cottler and Striley also encouraged new investigators take courses that will prepare them to be future faculty. These include courses on leadership, management, compliance, health and safety, and ethics.

Continue to visitGambling Disorders 360°for daily updates, on-site reporting about the sessions and audio interviews from leading researchers and industry representatives.

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Visit Gambling Disorders 360° For NCRG Conference News

The 11th annualNCRG Conferenceon Gambling and Addiction begins this Sunday, November 14 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada.

Can’t make it to the event? Keep up with all the breaking news from the conference by visitingGambling Disorders 360°. Here you will find daily updates, on-site reporting about the sessions and audio interviews from leading researchers and industry representatives.

Subscribe now for automatic e-mail updates, or check the blog all next week for the latest news. For more information the conference, visit theNCRG Conference website.

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Cold Turkey Vs. Warm Turkey? New Research On Recovery Without Abstinence

Conventional wisdom assumes that individuals with gambling problems must quit “cold turkey” and abstain from gambling in order to achieve recovery. However, a newarticle in the journalAddictionreports on individuals who are recovering from a gambling disorder without abstaining from all gambling activities (Slutske, Piasecki, Blaszczynski, & Martin, 2010). This study of Australian twins examined the behavior of a representative cross-section of the population, and not just people in treatment for gambling disorders. Population surveys like the one used in this study are useful for understanding how recovery occurs, as roughly 80 percent of people who recover from a gambling disorder do so without any kind of formal treatment (Slutske, 2006). This type of research is particularly noteworthy because much of what is known about people with gambling disorders has come from studies of people in formal treatment programs.

In the study sample of 4,764 people, 90 percent of the 44 recovered disordered gamblers had participated in some type of gambling during the past year. This finding is striking because it suggests that controlled gambling is not only possible for those with disordered gambling, but the norm for the majority of recovered pathological gamblers in this sample. The authors suggest that this finding may be good news for gambling treatment providers because programs that strive for “controlled gambling” instead of abstinence may attract people who otherwise would not consider attending more traditional, abstinence-based treatment programs. Also, once in treatment, a person may decide that abstinence really is the best choice, a conclusion that 39 percent of participants reached in a recent treatment study that offered controlled gambling as a starting goal(Ladouceur, Lachance, & Fournier, 2009).

More information on the article inAddictionis available onthe journal’s website. What are your thoughts about “warm turkey” versus “cold turkey”? Tell us in the Comments section below.

References

Ladouceur, R., Lachance, S., & Fournier, P. (2009). Is control a viable goal in the treatment of pathological gambling?Behaviour Research and Therapy,47(3), 189-197. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2008.11.004

Slutske, W. S. (2006). Natural recovery and treatment-seeking in pathological gambling: results of two U.S. national surveys.American Journal of Psychiatry,163(2), 297-302. doi:163/2/297 [pii] 10.1176/appi.ajp.163.2.297

Slutske, W. S., Piasecki, T. M., Blaszczynski, A., & Martin, N. G. (2010). Pathological gambling recovery in the absence of abstinence.Addiction. Advance online publication. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03080.x

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National Association Of Social Workers Approves NCRG Conference On Gambling And Addiction For Continuing Education

The National Association of Social Workers(NASW) has approved 14 hours of continuing education offered by the NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction, taking place Nov. 14-16, 2010 in Las Vegas. The NASW is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world and works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies. Educational offerings approved by the NASW may be used by social workers to meet the continuing education requirement for social work licensure/certification renewal.

For more information about the NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction, visit theConference linkon the NCRG website.

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New Edition Of The Wager Looks At Study Comparing Brains Of Disordered Gamblers And Individuals With Alcohol Dependence

Scientists have identified many commonalities between people with gambling problems and those with substance use disorders. Are there similarities in brain function? A recent edition ofThe WAGER(Worldwide Addiction Gambling Education Report) reviews a study focused on this issue.

The most recent edition ofTheWAGER– Vol. 15(8)reviews a 2009 study published in the journalAddiction(Lawrence, Luty, Bogdan, Sahakian, & Clark, 2009) that compares decision-making and brain function in individuals with gambling disorders, alcohol dependant individuals, and healthy controls (participants without gambling or alcohol problems). The three groups were given a series of tests designed to evaluate traits such as impulsivity, decision-making on a gambling task and short-term recall. Individuals with gambling and alcohol problems showed significantly lower levels of impulse control than healthy controls. Only disordered gamblers went “bankrupt” significantly more often in the gambling task, and only alcohol dependant participants had significantly reduced short-term recall (possibly an effect of heavy alcohol use). For the full review or to access online reviews of research on other addictive disorders, visit The BASIS (Brief Addiction Science Information Source) athttp://www.basisonline.org.

As always, we welcome thoughts and questions in the comments section below.

References

Lawrence, A. J., Luty, J., Bogdan, N. A., Sahakian, B. J., & Clark, L. (2009). Problem gamblers share deficits in impulsive decision-making with alcohol-dependent individuals.Addiction,104(6), 1006-1015. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02533.x

NCRG staffIn the NewsBASISdecision makingDivision on AddictionsHarvard Medical Schoolproblem gamblingThe WAGER

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Institute Announces Posters Selected For The 2010 NCRG Conference

Research on genetics, Texas Hold’em, decision-making, college gambling and the use of video games in the treatment of gambling disorders are just a few of the intriguing poster topics that will be presented at the 2010NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction. This month’s edition ofIssues & Insightsprovides information about the 35 posters selected for the poster session on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010.

The annual poster session showcases exciting new research in the field, giving investigators the opportunity to report their research findings and converse with conference attendees about their projects. Many of the poster presenters are young investigators, which provides conference attendees the chance to meet the next generation of gambling researchers. Reflecting the increasing international presence at the annual NCRG conference, many of this year’s poster presenters come from outside the U.S., including Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain and South Africa.

The complete list of posters is available inOctober’s Issues & Insights,and abstracts of the posters are available on theInstitute website. As always we welcome your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.

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New Volume Of Increasing The Odds Explores Self-exclusion Research

The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) recently released the fifth volume ofIncreasing the Odds: A Series Dedicated to Understanding Gambling Disorders,which is titled“Evaluating Self-Exclusion as an Intervention for Disordered Gambling.”The NCRG’s monograph series provides easy-to-understand summaries of seminal peer-reviewed research on gambling disorders, as well as implications for future research and prevention efforts.

Self-exclusion programs are a form of help-seeking behavior that provides gamblers an opportunity to voluntarily limit their access to gambling venues. The gamblers pledge to stay out of participating casinos for an agreed time period, often for the rest of their lives. The findings presented in this volume ofIncreasing the Oddscan be used by regulators, policymakers and gaming industry representatives to shape the development and implementation of new and existing programs, leading to more effective results that may help individuals who want to stop or reduce their gambling activities.

The publication includes research summaries from Helen Suurvali, B.A., on what motivates gamblers to seek help and change their behavior; Richard A. LaBrie, Ed.D., on how self-exclusion programs can inform public health strategies; Sarah E. Nelson, Ph.D., on the role of the Missouri Voluntary Exclusion Program in changing participants’ gambling behavior; and Robert Ladouceur, Ph.D., on early benefits to gamblers through self-exclusion and testing improvements in a self-exclusion program.

The publication also features commentary from Kevin Mullally, general counsel and director of government affairs at Gaming Laboratories International and the author of the first state self-exclusion program implemented in the United States, as well as an appendix outlining self-exclusion programs in the United States and in select international jurisdictions.

A downloadable copy ofIncreasing the Oddsis available in theMonographsection of the NCRG website. The first four volumes of the series, which address topics such as youth and gambling, the various aspects of gambling addition recovery and gambling and public health, are also available on the website.

As always, we welcome thoughts and questions in the comments section below.

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