Examining the effects of mindfulness practice and trait mindfulness on gambling symptoms in women with gambling disorder: a feasibility study. Issue 1 (2nd January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: van der Tempel, Jan; McDermott, Katelin; Niepage, Mark; Afifi, Tracie O.; McMain, Shelley; Jindani, Farah; Singer, Ian; Paniak, Isabel; Anwer, Sana; Menezes, Karen; Lobo, Daniela; Zack, Martin
• Is Part Of: International gambling studies. Volume 20:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 114
• Page End: 134
• Publication Date: 2020-01-02
• Subjects: Women -- gambling -- mindfulness -- distress tolerance -- Stroop; Gambling -- Periodicals; 306.48205
• DOI: 10.1080/14459795.2019.1686766
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1445-9795

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Women with gambling disorder (GD) exhibit high comorbidity, late onset and rapid escalation of symptoms, and a tendency to gamble to cope with negative affect. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may be especially helpful to address these issues. This project investigated the feasibility and therapeutic potential of a 10-week group MBI in treatment-seeking women with GD ( n = 9). The sample exhibited high scores on multiple measures of dysfunction and risk for GD. MBI was associated with clinically and statistically significant decreases in the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale for Pathological Gambling and a Gambling Craving Scale; decreased severity on the Beck Depression Inventory ( p < .05), and more consistent attention to negative affective words on an emotional Stroop task ( p = .05). Childhood exposure to violence and paternal over-control were inter-correlated, and each predicted lower distress tolerance. A between-groups design, comparing MBI with a validated GD treatment, would reduce the burden of repeated testing and enable direct recruitment through a treatment service to better target treatment-seeking individuals and promote retention in future studies. These preliminary data support the feasibility and therapeutic potential of MBI for women with GD.