Baseline characteristics
| Characteristics | CBT (n=74) | BT (n=74) | MI (n=73) | NDST (n=76) | Total (n=297) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographic variables | ||||||
| Age (years), | 51.68 (13.0) | 46.16 (15.3) | 50.74 (14.9) | 49.38 (13.5) | 49.48 (14.3) | 0.10 |
| Male, n (%) | 36 (48.6) | 45 (60.8) | 40 (54.8) | 41 (53.9) | 162 (54.5) | 0.53 |
| Relationship, n (%) | 0.37 | |||||
| Married/de facto | 35 (47.3) | 25 (33.8) | 27 (37.0) | 29 (38.2) | 116 (39.1) | |
| Separated/divorced/never married/widowed | 39 (52.7) | 49 (66.2) | 46 (63.0) | 47 (61.8) | 181 (60.9) | |
| Education, n (%) | 0.39 | |||||
| Tertiary education | 23 (31.1) | 19 (25.7) | 21 (28.8) | 18 (23.7) | 81 (27.3) | |
| Trade/technical certificate/diploma | 17 (23.0) | 24 (32.4) | 15 (20.5) | 21 (27.6) | 77 (25.9) | |
| Completed secondary school | 11 (14.9) | 13 (17.6) | 20 (27.4) | 13 (17.1) | 57 (19.2) | |
| Completed primary school | 22 (29.7) | 18 (24.3) | 25 (20.5) | 24 (31.6) | 79 (26.6) | |
| Other | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (1.0) | |
| Employment, n (%) | 0.89 | |||||
| Full-time | 30 (40.5) | 34 (45.9) | 27 (37.0) | 33 (43.4) | 124 (41.8) | |
| Part-time | 10 (13.5) | 5 (6.8) | 8 (11.0) | 7 (10.5) | 30 (10.1) | |
| Casual/self-employed | 9 (12.2) | 12 (16.2) | 8 (11.0) | 8 (10.5) | 37 (12.5) | |
| Full-time student | 2 (2.7) | 2 (2.7) | 2 (2.7) | 1 (1.3) | 7 (2.4) | |
| Not working (full-time home duties/retired/pensioner/unemployed) | 21 (28.4) | 19 (25.7) | 28 (38.4) | 26 (34.2) | 94 (31.6) | |
| Other | 2 (2.7) | 2 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.3) | 5 (1.7) | |
| Income, n (%) | 0.44 | |||||
| Less than $25 000 | 18 (24.7) | 20 (27.0) | 29 (39.7) | 20 (26.3) | 87 (29.4) | |
| $25 000–$39 999 | 11 (15.1) | 14 (18.9) | 8 (11.0) | 8 (10.5) | 41 (13.9) | |
| $40 000–$64 999 | 17 (23.3) | 16 (21.6) | 9 (12.3) | 18 (23.7) | 60 (20.3) | |
| $65 000–$79 999 | 7 (9.6) | 7 (9.5) | 7 (9.6) | 9 (11.8) | 30 (10.1) | |
| $80 000–$129 000 | 10 (13.7) | 14 (18.9) | 15 (20.5) | 15 (19.7) | 54 (18.2) | |
| $130 000 or more | 10 (13.7) | 3 (4.1) | 5 (6.8) | 6 (7.9) | 24 (8.1) | |
| Gambling-related variables | ||||||
| Gambling symptom severity (G-SAS) | 25.82 (7.013) | 27.48 (8.17) | 26.14 (8.93) | 26.14 (8.04) | 26.39 (8.05) | 0.61 |
| Gambling frequency | 18.66 (17.64) | 17.81 (13.93) | 18.74 (16.12) | 16.14 (18.94) | 17.82 (16.73) | 0.76 |
| Hours spent gambling | 31.55 (25.77) | 38.74 (45.41) | 42.73 (61.12) | 28.11 (31.86) | 35.21 (43.26) | 0.15 |
| Gambling expenditure ($) | 3577.08 (4032.66) | 4648.41 (7420.03) | 4667.27 (7047.57) | 4381.75 (6807.82) | 4320.38 (6457.03) | 0.71 |
| Pathological gamblers (DSM-IV criteria), n (%) | 60 (83.3) | 66 (89.2) | 60 (84.5) | 69 (90.8) | 255 (87.0) | 0.47 |
| Problem gamblers (PGSI score of 8+), n (%) | 69 (93.2) | 65 (87.8) | 61 (84.7) | 70 (93.3) | 265 (89.8) | 0.23 |
| Family history of gambling problems, n (%) | 28 (38.4) | 38 (51.4) | 35 (48.6) | 38 (50.0) | 139 (47.1) | 0.38 |
| Years with a gambling problem | 14.54 (10.58) | 12.69 (8.77) | 13.62 (9.79) | 13.22 (9.27) | 13.51 (9.59) | 0.69 |
| EGMs as preferred mode of gambling, n (%) | 54 (73.0) | 44 (59.5) | 45 (61.6) | 51 (67.1) | 194 (65.3) | 0.31 |
| Any gambling-related debt, n (%) | 35 (47.3) | 45 (60.8) | 31 (43.1) | 41 (53.9) | 152 (51.4) | 0.15 |
| Psychological well-being variables | ||||||
| Kessler-6 | 8.95 (5.00) | 9.45 (5.77) | 9.55 (5.56) | 9.67 (4.91) | 9.40 (5.30) | 0.85 |
| DASS-21 depression | 13.11 (11.05) | 13.00 (11.50) | 14.88 (12.61) | 15.84 (11.57) | 14.22 (11.70) | 0.37 |
| DASS-21 anxiety | 7.00 (8.12) | 7.41 (8.82) | 8.53 (8.89) | 8.16 (9.49) | 7.77 (8.34) | 0.68 |
| DASS-21 stress | 15.62 (9.18) | 15.43 (11.17) | 16.79 (10.41) | 16.55 (9.49) | 16.10 (10.05) | 0.80 |
| Drug and alcohol use variables | ||||||
| AUDIT | 7.85 (7.66) | 7.32 (7.17) | 7.41 (7.10) | 7.86 (7.65) | 7.61 (7.37) | 0.96 |
| Daily tobacco use, n (%) | 22 (29.7) | 18 (24.3) | 21 (28.8) | 21 (27.6) | 82 (27.6) | 0.89 |
| Weekly recreational drug use, n (%) | 5 (6.8) | 8 (10.8) | 11 (15.1) | 7 (9.2) | 31 (10.4) | 0.41 |
Results are based on mean and (SD) unless stated otherwise.
AUDIT, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; BT, behaviour therapy; CBT, cognitive-behavioural therapy; DASS-21, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21; DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition; G-SAS, Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale; MI, motivational interviewing; NDST, non-directive supportive therapy; PGSI, Problem Gambling Severity Index.