Development and Validation of a Mindfulness Intervention for Problem Gambling: An Exploratory Study

In recent years, mindfulness meditation has been shown to be a promising approach for alleviating emotional distress associated with chronic medical and psychiatric conditions and in reducing relapse following treatment for depression. The applicability of mindfulness meditation to problem gambling has not yet been explored. Mindfulness meditation may be particularly suitable for this clinical disorder as it stresses a process-oriented, metacognitive, approach to cognitive pathology in contrast to a content-focused approach, characteristic of traditional approaches to treating cognitive psychopathology. Gambling-related cognitive psychopathology is a well-known characteristic of problem gambling and frequently the target of therapy. Although there is growing evidence that cognitive-behavioral treatments are effective for gambling, outcomes may be improved by teaching gamblers additional ways to cope with cognitive distortions that emphasize metacognitive processes.