Study Finds Symptom Improvement During Virtual Gambling Treatment

NEW YORK: Virtual behavioral healthcare was associated with reduced gambling disorder symptoms in a study of 1,305 adults. Nearly 72% reached a clinically meaningful improvement threshold during treatment.

The retrospective study examined patients treated by Birches Health between June 2024 and April 2026. Researchers tracked symptom changes during the first 12 weeks of video-based outpatient care.

Patients Recorded an 8.3-Point Symptom Reduction

In the peer-reviewed study, researchers used the Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale, or G-SAS, to measure changes in gambling-related thoughts, urges and behavior.

A reduction of at least four points was classified as clinically meaningful improvement. Across the full study population, 935 patients, or 71.7%, reached that threshold at least once during the 12-week period.

The median time to initial improvement was 14 days. Average G-SAS scores declined by an estimated 8.3 points over 12 weeks, compared with an average baseline score of 20.5, which was within the moderate symptom range.

Sustained improvement was less common than initial improvement. The study found that 622 patients, or 47.7% of the full sample, recorded clinically meaningful reductions during consecutive assessments.

The difference between the initial and sustained rates suggests that maintaining early gains remains a challenge. The researchers said future work should examine longer-term recovery, continued participation in care and the risk of relapse.

Many Patients Had Additional Mental Health Diagnoses

More than half of the patients had at least one additional psychiatric diagnosis. Anxiety disorders affected 26.9% of the sample, while 21.1% had depressive disorders and 9.6% had trauma- or stress-related conditions.

Patients with greater depressive symptom severity at the beginning of care tended to improve more quickly. However, people with diagnosed depressive disorders or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder showed slower improvement trajectories than patients without those diagnoses.

Treatment was delivered through secure video sessions by licensed mental health or addiction counselors. The care model could include individual psychotherapy, group therapy, peer support and financial wellness counseling, depending on the patient’s needs.

The treatment incorporated approaches commonly used in behavioral healthcare, including cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing and relapse prevention. Session frequency and treatment duration varied rather than following one standardized program for every patient.

The findings support wider efforts to improve the early detection of gambling disorder and connect patients with specialized care before financial, psychological and relationship harm becomes more severe.

Study Cannot Establish That Treatment Caused Improvement

The researchers cautioned that the results show an association and do not prove that Birches Health’s treatment caused the symptom reductions. The study was observational and did not compare patients with an untreated control group or another treatment provider.

Natural recovery, regression toward average symptom levels and other factors may have contributed to the changes. Race and ethnicity data were also unavailable, and women and gender-minority patients were underrepresented, limiting conclusions about whether outcomes were consistent across demographic groups.

The research also involved financial and employment connections to Birches Health. One author was employed by the company, while three researchers worked for Fit Minded, a behavioral sciences consultancy compensated as Birches Health’s embedded scientific team.

The authors said their compensation was not linked to the study’s results. They concluded that the findings provide real-world evidence supporting further research into virtual gambling treatment, particularly studies measuring sustained recovery over longer periods.

RELATED TOPICS: Responsible Gambling