Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T20:28:18.640Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Comparison of Imaginal Desensitisation with other Behavioural Treatments of Pathological Gambling a Two- to Nine-Year Follow-up

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Nathaniel McConaghy ,
Alexander Blaszczynski  and
Anna Frankova
Nathaniel McConaghy*
Affiliation:
School of Psychiatry, University of NSW, Psychiatry Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, High St, Randwick, NSW, Australia, 2031
Alexander Blaszczynski
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
Anna Frankova
Affiliation:
Prince of Wales Hospital, High St, Randwick, NSW, Australia
*
∗Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Of 120 pathological gamblers randomly allocated to imaginal desensitisation (ID) or to other behavioural procedures (60 to each group, all procedures administered over one week) 63 subjects were contacted two to nine years later. Twenty-six of the 33 who received ID reported control or cessation of gambling compared with 16 of 30 who received other behavioural procedures. This difference was significant, indicating ID had a specific effect additional to that of the other behavioural procedures. It is suggested the other procedures could be regarded as placebos. As the response at a mean of over five years to one week of ID is comparable with that reported to more intensive therapies, after briefer follow-up, it is suggested ID is a cost-effective therapy for pathological gambling, and is worth considering when resources are limited.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 159 , Issue 3 , September 1991 , pp. 390 - 393
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association (1960) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn) (DSM—III). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T., Ward, C. M., Mendelson, M., et al (1961) An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561—571.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blaszczynski, A., McConaghy, N. & Frankova, A. (1991) Control versus abstinence in the treatment of pathological gambling: a two to nine year follow-up. British Journal of Addiction, 86, 299—306.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, R. I. F. (1985) The effectiveness of Gamblers Anonymous. In Proceedings of the Sixth National Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking (ed. Eadington, W. R.). Reno: University of Nevada.Google Scholar
Derogatis, L. R. (1977) SCL—90. Administration, Scoring and Procedures Manual-1 for the Revised Version. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.Google Scholar
Emmelkamp, P. M. G. (1990) Anxiety and fear. In International Handbook of Behavior Modification and Therapy (2nd edn) (eds Bellack, A. S., Hersen, M. & Kazdin, A. E.). London: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Eysenck, H. J. & Eysenck, S. B. (1975) Manual of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. London: Hodder & Stoughton.Google Scholar
Greenberg, D. & Rankin, H. (1982) Compulsive gamblers in treatment. British Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 364—366.Google Scholar
Lang, P. J., Lazovik, A. D. & Reynolds, D. J. (1965) Desensitization, suggestibility, and pseudotherapy. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 70, 395—402.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McConaghy, N. (1980) Behaviour completion mechanisms rather than primary drives maintain behavioural patterns. Activitas Nervosa Superior (Praha), 22, 138—151.Google Scholar
McConaghy, N. (1983) Agoraphobia, compulsive behaviours and behaviour completion mechanisms. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 17, 170—179.Google Scholar
McConaghy, N., Armstrong, M. S., Blaszczynski, A., et al (1983) Controlled comparison of aversive therapy and imaginal desensitization in compulsive gambling. British Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 366—372.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McConaghy, N., Armstrong, M. S., Blaszczynski, A., et al (1985) Expectancy, covert sensitization and imaginal desensitization in compulsive sexuality. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 72, 176—187.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McConaghy, N., Blaszczynski, A. & Kidson, W. (1988) Treatment of sex offenders with imaginal desensitization and/or medroxyprogesterone. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 77, 199—206.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peterson, L. & Harbeck, C. (1990) Medical disorders. In International Handbook of Behavior Modification and Therapy (2nd edn) (eds Bellack, A. S., Hersen, M. & Kazdin, A. E.). London: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Russo, A. M., Taber, J. I., McCormick, R. A., et al (1984) An outcome study of an inpatient treatment program for pathological gamblers. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 35, 823—827.Google ScholarPubMed
Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L. & Lushene, R. E. (1970) Manual For The State — Trait Anxiety Inventory (Self Evaluation Questionnaire). Pao Alto: Consulting Psychologist Press.Google Scholar
Taber, J. I., McCormick, R. A., Russo, A. M., et al (1987) Follow-up of pathological gamblers after treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 757—761.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.