Meeting the Unique Treatment Needs of Female Gamblers: A Workbook and Webinar Effectiveness Pilot Study

While past decades have seen a dramatic increase in the number of women who gamble and develop consequent problems, treatment services are being underutilized in Ontario, especially by women. This pilot aimed to be responsive to this concern, circumventing barriers by inviting access to support through the use of two interventions. One was a mailed self-help workbook designed for women. The second utilized the workbook in a clinician facilitated group context using teleconferencing in conjunction with webinar technology. This small pragmatic pilot aimed to both get feedback on the helpfulness of the workbook and to explore the feasibility of using web and phone based group interventions. The presentation will takes us on a brief tour of current research knowledge about barriers to treatment, and highlight the distinct treatment considerations in working with women, the value of a women’s group, the increasingly utilized role and advantages of phone counselling, the modern explosion of web based services and the added value of self-help materials for gamblers. We’ll review the content and rationale of the self-help workbook, a manual drawing from best practices and research in diverse areas relevant to women’s recovery. A mixed method analysis found that the interventions were well received by women in both Canada and the USA. We’ll review both qualitative and quantitative results. This innovative and original treatment intervention holds considerable promise in expanding options for women who might not otherwise seek or be able to access treatment