Stages of change, clinical presentation, retention, and treatment outcomes in treatment-seeking outpatient problem gambling clients.

Specific stages of change have been associated with clinical variables before and during the course of addiction treatment. However, few studies have specifically focused on these relationships for problem and pathological gamblers. The present study examined the relationships between pretreatment stages of change and clinical treatment variables in a sample of 71 treatment-seeking problem and pathological gamblers.

Pathological gambling, co-occurring disorders, clinical presentation, and treatment outcomes at a university-based counseling clinic.

It is the intent of this study to examine the relationship between the number of co-occurring disorders in a sample of pathological gamblers and variables associated with clinical presentation and treatment outcomes. Participants were given screening tools for four common psychological disorders: the hands depression screen, the Mood Disorder Questionnaire, the Carroll-Davidson generalized anxiety disorder screen, and the Sprint-4 PTSD Screen. The number of co-occurring disorders, as indicated by the results of these screening instruments, was compared to severity of gambling problems at outset of treatment, as measured by the NORC diagnostic screen for gambling problems-self administered.