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Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Pathological Gambling

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Evidence-Based Treatments for Problem Gambling

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Psychology ((BRIEFSPSYCHOL))

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Abstract

This chapter describes the origins, structure and applications of dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and the evidence base for its efficacy across adult patient populations. A review of current literature, prospective directions and contraindications for DBT in the treatment of pathological gambling (PG), and a case study are included. Despite strong evidence for the efficacy of DBT for other addictions, disorders with a high comorbidity with PG, and commonly co-occurring features such as emotion dysregulation, there has been limited research in the application of this therapy to the PG population. Research is needed to delineate the groups for which DBT treatment may be effective. The theoretical links outlined suggest a cautiously hopeful outlook for the use of this intervention for a subgroup of pathological gamblers (PGs), particularly for those who are less responsive to traditional CBT.

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  1. Gambling Treatment Program, St Vincents Hospital Sydney, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia

    Kate Fennessy

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  1. Kate Fennessy
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Correspondence to Kate Fennessy .

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Fennessy, K. (2017). Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Pathological Gambling. In: Evidence-Based Treatments for Problem Gambling. SpringerBriefs in Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62485-3_8

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