For the past two years, staff at The Donwood Problem Gambling Program in Toronto, Canada, have been collecting gambling-related information* from substance abuse clients in all programs. The data collection instruments include 1) the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) to measure lifetime gambling behavior, 2) an instrument that explores current (i.e., past year) gambling behavior, and, more recently, 3) six questions about Stages of Change**. The stage of change was identified by asking respondents to choose from the following six statements the one that best applied to them “right now:” a) I had a gambling problem more than six months... Read more →
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December 1996
Tuesday, December 17, 1996
Tuesday, December 10, 1996
The WAGER, Vol. 1(50) - Gambling Disorders in Louisiana
Seven forms of legalized gaming are available in Louisiana: pari-mutuel horse racing, charitable gaming, off-track betting, lottery, riverboat casinos, video poker, and land-based casinos. A recent study determined the prevalence of problem and pathological gambling among adults (over 21) and adolescents (defined in this study as ages 18-21) in Louisiana. A random sample of 1818 residents were interviewed by telephone using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) to ascertain the prevalence of gambling disorders. Individuals with SOGS scores of 3 or 4 were considered “problem” gamblers, and those with scores of 5 or more were considered “pathological” gamblers. Adolescents were... Read more →
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Tuesday, December 03, 1996
The WAGER, Vol. 1(49) - Treatment Issues: Explaining Variance in Problem Gambling
A host of factors influence the development of problem gambling as well as treatment outcome. The various “causes” of problem gambling are unequally changeable by treatment; “immutable variables” such as gender, socioeconomic status, education, and religion are less of a focus in treatment than are the “mutable variables” such as lottery play, money spent on gambling, alcohol consumption, and the illusion of control as an attitude about gambling. Clinicians may focus on the “mutable variables” to offer alternative associations and attitudes which the gambler can choose to adopt. Recent research attempted to quantify the variance in problem gambling; that is,... Read more →
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Special Topics in Addiction and the Humanities: From scare tactics to realism: Different approaches to the portrayal of methamphetamineEditor's Note: This special edition of Addiction and the Humanities was written by Julia Wise, who conducted an independent research project with the Division on Addiction during the summer of 2012. Crystal Meth is a unique drug that affects users unlike any other substance. A first example is methamphetamine’s effects on the brain; long-term use can result in psychotic symptoms. Some people suffer from these symptoms even after they stop using (Kelly, 2005). A second way that crystal meth is distinct is the way it is produced. Rather than being derived originally from a plant, meth is produced chemically from...
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Special Topics in Addiction and the Humanities: Music Therapy for Chemically Dependent YouthEditor’s Note: The Division on Addiction has recently begun a partnership with the Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations, a residential chemical dependency treatment center for adolescents located in Spokane, WA. The Healing Lodge provides innovative treatment to both Native and non-Native youth that incorporates Native American culture in the healing process. One of the Healing Lodge's most recent treatment innovations is Abstract Music, a program that encourages residents to express their thoughts and feelings through music. In 2011, that program won the "Innovative Program of Year” award from the Washington State Department of Behavioral Health and Recovery and an...
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Addiction & the Humanities, Vol. 8(10) - The Main Event: ESPN covers recovery and redemptionOn October 31, 24-year old Greg Merson won the Main Event of the 2012 World Series of Poker. As a part of their coverage of the biggest live poker tournament in the world (6598 entrants, 7 days of play during the summer, two days of play during October), ESPN and other poker media covered his struggles with addiction, from his past with marijuana and cocaine to his current efforts and strategies for staying clean. Today's Addiction & the Humanities explores this coverage. ESPN’s coverage of Days 1 through 7 During the summer, teams at ESPN edited hours of footage from...