Motivational interviewing in the treatment of problem and pathological gambling

(from the chapter) The effects of problem and pathological gambling are wide-ranging. Gamblers are at high risk for stress-related physical illnesses and comorbid psychiatric disorders. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a natural fit for the area of problem and pathological gambling for a number of reasons. As with many mental health disorders, rates of treatment seeking are low relative to the prevalence estimates of the number of people suffering from the disorder. Less than 10% of problem gamblers in the United States seek out the available treatments. To the extent that low treatment seeking is related to motivation and lack of access to treatment, two potential complementary solutions are to increase the motivation of individuals to seek formal treatment and to broaden the treatment options by offering more accessible types of treatment. We present examples of both these approaches that use MI principles. First, we present the use of a brief motivational intervention to increase the efficacy of a self-help workbook for pathological gambling. Second, we provide a description of a one-session motivational intervention to encourage reduction of gambling behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (chapter)