Node-link-mapping-enhanced group treatment for pathological gambling.

Two experiments evaluated a group treatment for pathological gambling that used node-link mapping techniques to enhance treatment effectiveness. In Experiment 1, 13 (8 female) pathological gamblers were randomly assigned to either a mapping group (n=4), a nonmapping group (n=4), or a wait-list control group (n=5). The treatments were conducted by Master's level counselors during 90-min sessions conducted twice per week for 8 weeks. Participants were assessed pre- and post-8 weeks and then 6 months later on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th ed. (DSM-IV) pathological gambling criteria, three self-ratings of control of gambling, gambling expenditure, and gambling bout duration. Experiment 2 replicated the mapping (n=9; 8 female) and wait-list (n=10; 8 female) conditions of Experiment 1 and expanded the dependent measures to include assessment of changes in cooccurring depression and anxiety. The node-link-mapping-enhanced group treatment produced improvements in more of the dependent measures of pathological gambling than treatment without maps (Experiment 1) or an equivalent-length waiting period (Experiments 1 and 2). It also produced larger decreases in cooccurring depression and anxiety than an equivalent-length waiting period (Experiment 2). The results are consistent with previous treatment research with substance abusers.