Interference-based methods to mitigate gambling craving: a proof-of-principle pilot study

[en] Craving is central in the prognosis of gambling disorder. The elaborated intrusion theory (EIT) provides a sound framework to account for craving in addictive disorders, and interference methods inspired from the EIT have substantiated their effectiveness in mitigating substance and food-related cravings. The principle of these methods is to recruit the cognitive resources underlying craving (e.g., visuospatial skills, mental imagery) for another competitive and cognitively demanding task, thus reducing the vividness and overwhelming nature of craving. Here we conducted two experiments employing a between-subjects design to test the efficacy of interference methods for reducing laboratory-induced craving. In these experiments, gamblers (n = 38 for both experiments) first followed a craving induction procedure. They then performed either a visuospatial interference task (making a mental and vivid image of a bunch of keys [experiment 1] or playing the video game Tetris [experiment 2]; experimental conditions) or another task supposed not to recruit visuospatial skills and mental imagery (exploding bubble pack [experiment 1] or counting backwards [experiment 2]; control conditions). Results show that all methods successively mitigated induced craving. Although previous research evidenced the superiority of visuospatial tasks to reduce substance-related craving, our findings question their superiority in the context of gambling craving. Abbreviations EIT: Elaborated intrusion theory of desire; GD: Gambling disorder; CEQ: Craving Experience Questionnaire; g-CEQ: gambling Craving Experience Questionnaire; g-CEQ-F: Gambling Craving Experience Questionnaire–Frequency form; g-CEQ-S: Gambling Craving Experience Questionnaire–Strength form; Psi-Q: Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire; PGSI: Problem Gambling Severity Index; S-UPPS-P: Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale; DASS-21: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales; ANCOVA: Analysis of covariance.

Disciplines :

Theoretical & cognitive psychology
Treatment & clinical psychology

Author, co-author :

Cornil, Aurélien ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie > Psychologie clinique de l'adulte ; Louvain Experimental Psychopathology (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

Rothen, Stéphane ; Addictology Division, Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

De Timary, Philippe ; Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique De Louvain, Department of Adult Psychiatry, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium

Billieux, Joël ; Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Language :

English

Title :

Interference-based methods to mitigate gambling craving: a proof-of-principle pilot study

Publication date :

2021

Journal title :

International Gambling Studies

ISSN :

1445-9795

eISSN :

1479-4276

Publisher :

Routledge

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

426 - 449

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14459795.2021.1903063

Funders :

Loterie Nationale

Funding text :

This study was supported by a one-year grant from the Belgian National Lottery obtained by Joël Billieux in 2014. We warmly thank Thibaud Miret y Alsina and Céline Lentz for the data collection and the members of Louvain Experimental Psychopathology (UCLouvain) for their useful feedback on earlier drafts of the manuscript.

Available on ORBi :

since 21 January 2025

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