Smartphone Apps for Problem Gambling: a Review of Content and Quality

Purpose of Review Problem gambling can have profound consequences for affected individuals, yet only a small proportion of people with problem gambling seek treatment. Mobile phone applications (apps) may provide an effective and scalable therapeutic option. The purpose of this study was to evaluate...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current addiction reports 2023-06, Vol.10 (2), p.178-186
Main Authors: McCurdy, Li Yan, Loya, Jennifer M., Hart-Derrick, Victoria R., Young, Griffin C., Kiluk, Brian D., Potenza, Marc N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior modification
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Gambling
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental disorders
Mental health
Neurology
Psychiatry
Ratings & rankings
Smartphones
Telemedicine
Topical Collection on Mobile Health
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Purpose of Review Problem gambling can have profound consequences for affected individuals, yet only a small proportion of people with problem gambling seek treatment. Mobile phone applications (apps) may provide an effective and scalable therapeutic option. The purpose of this study was to evaluate publicly available mobile apps aimed at improving problematic gambling behavior. Recent Findings To date, there are no published studies that have evaluated the quality of publicly available smartphone apps for problem gambling in the USA. There is thus a significant gap in knowledge of existing apps for addressing problem gambling. Summary This study included a review of 14 problem-gambling-specific apps. Apps that incorporated cognitive-behavioral therapy concepts and in-app communities were associated with better aesthetics and information quality scores. Additionally, in-app communities were associated with better engagement scores. Our results highlight the importance of evidence-based and engaging features in apps designed to help people with problem gambling.
ISSN:2196-2952
2196-2952
DOI:10.1007/s40429-023-00479-2