Brief motivational treatment for problem gambling: a 24-month follow-up.

A 24-month follow-up of a randomized clinical trial of 2 brief treatments for problem gambling (N = 67) revealed an advantage for participants who received a motivational telephone intervention plus a self-help workbook compared with participants who received only the workbook. Although the 2 groups did not differ in the number of participants reporting 6 months of abstinence, the motivational intervention group gambled fewer days, lost less money, and had lower South Oaks Gambling Screen scores. They were more likely to be categorized as improved compared with the self-help workbook only group. Overall, the results support the effectiveness of a brief telephone- and mail-based treatment for problem gamblers.