Effects of Positive Psychological Group Psychotherapy and Auricular Acupressure on Withdrawal Symptoms

Launched by INHA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL · Feb 6, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how two different approaches—auricular acupressure and positive psychological group counseling—can help people who are struggling with gambling addiction. The goal is to see if these methods can reduce gambling severity, help with withdrawal symptoms, and affect levels of dopamine, a chemical in the brain related to pleasure and reward. The study will involve 180 gamblers and 60 non-gamblers, and participants will be randomly divided into different groups to compare the effectiveness of these treatments.

To participate in the study, gamblers must be at least 19 years old, have been gambling for more than six months, and want to quit. They should also have experienced noticeable gambling-related problems and be willing to complete questionnaires and provide blood samples. Non-gamblers can also join if they meet certain criteria, like having no history of gambling or substance use. Participants can expect to receive either acupressure treatments, group counseling sessions, or educational materials over a six-week period, depending on which group they are assigned to. This trial is currently recruiting participants, and it’s an opportunity for individuals facing gambling challenges to explore new ways of support.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• \[For first-year\]:
• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. gamblers who - are more than 19 years old
• • - had a total gambling period of more than six months
• • gambled within a month
• • wanted to quit gambling
• • had eight or more PGSI(Problem Gambling Severity Index) scores
• • had no ear infections
• • were not allergic to copper or aluminum
• • willing to complete questionnaires
• • agreed to extract blood
• • 2. non-gamblers who
• • were over the age of 19
• • willing to complete questionnaires
• • agreed to extract blood
• • got zero or received the lowest scores on alcoholism, smartphone addiction, game addiction, and gambling addiction tests
• • had never smoked
• • never been blacked out in their lives
• • had negative outcome in cotinine urine tests
• • had no medical or psychological diagnosis
• • no medication for therapeutic purposes
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. gamblers who - were pregnant - had experiences in taking drugs, including marijuana.
• • 2. non-gamblers who
• • were pregnant
• • had taken painkillers in recent a week prior to blood testing
• • had experiences in taking drugs, including marijuana
• \[For second and third year\]:
• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. gamblers
• • - will be the same as those in the first year of the study.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. gamblers who
• • were undergoing gambling counseling
• • were on medication
• • had taken painkillers in the past a week
• • were pregnant
• • had experiences in taking drugs, including marijuana