Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Jul 1;35(4):265-269.
doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000799.

Telehealth treatment for gambling disorder in the COVID-19 era: seismic shifts and silver linings

Nathan D L Smith  1 , Galen M Jones, Mark B Lucia
Affiliations
Review

Telehealth treatment for gambling disorder in the COVID-19 era: seismic shifts and silver linings

Nathan D L Smith et al. Curr Opin Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: Gambling disorder is a serious mental health condition and the only behavioral addiction currently recognized by the American Psychiatric Association. Though prevalence and treatment seeking for gambling disorder have been stable for decades, the global COVID-19 pandemic has created a seismic shift in societal factors that influence gambling disorder and treatment availability. At the same time, the increasing availability of telehealth therapy for gambling disorder offers a new way to provide specialized treatment nationwide.

Recent findings: The present review discusses the seismic shifts in underlying risk factors, gambling availability, and reduced access to treatment. It also covers the emergence of telehealth treatment for gambling disorder, including its benefits and pitfalls.

Summary: In separate commentaries, several experts hypothesized that the pandemic was likely to increase mental health risk factors in society such as social isolation, job loss, and stress. In addition, access to online gambling also increased, while countries that locked down more strictly (like Singapore) saw a reduction in terrestrial gambling, countries that did not lock down strictly (like Sweden) did not see changes in gambling behavior. Telehealth was almost universally recommended as a good option for treatment in the studies we reviewed, though proper training and staffing are needed for telehealth to prove effective. Gambling disorder was only included in nationwide addiction telehealth programs in two countries.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association: DSM-III. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 3rd ed.Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 1980.
    1. Smith NDL, Cottler LB. Epidemiology: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Gambling disorder: a clinical guide to treatment. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2021.
    1. Kessler RC, Hwang I, LaBrie R, et al. DSM-IV pathological gambling in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Psychol Med 2008; 38:1351–1360.
    1. Slutske WS. Natural recovery and treatment-seeking in pathological gambling: results of two US national surveys. Am J Psychiatry 2006; 163:297–302.
    1. Interactive Map: Sports Betting in the U.S., American Gaming Association. (2022). https://www.americangaming.org/research/state-gaming-map/ (Accessed April 5, 2022).