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Who goes to treatment? Predictors of treatment initiation among gambling help-line callers.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Although the consequences of problem gambling can be severe, few ever seek treatment for this disorder. Problem gambling help-lines represent a crucial point of entry into the treatment system. Through brief telephone counseling, help-lines have the potential of enhancing callers' motivations to engage in longer-term treatment. We prospectively examined treatment initiation and its predictors among individuals calling a state help-line.


METHODS
Participants (n = 143) were assessed shortly after their initial call and re-contacted at least two months later.


RESULTS
Overall 67% of the re-contacted help-line callers had attended at least one treatment session at the time of the follow-up interview (92.7% formal treatment and 28.1% peer-support meetings). Multivariate analysis revealed that gambling-related financial difficulties and past treatment for problem gambling (but not for mental health or substance abuse) predicted treatment initiation.


CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE
Enhanced counseling focusing on motivational factors may result in better treatment engagement for some problem gamblers.