Treatment Outcome in Male Gambling Disorder Patients Associated with Alcohol Use

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

Aims: 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. Methods: The sample consisted of 111 male individuals with a diagnosis of Gambling Disorder, with a mean age of 45 years (SD = 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.