Help or harm? Assessing positive and unwanted effects of a self-guided internet-based intervention for gambling problems
Open accessAbstract
Background: Self-guided internet-based interventions have been established as effective tools for reducing gambling disorder. However, research on their potential negative side effects remains limited. This study investigated both unintended positive effects, and unwanted negative effects, of the self-guided internet-based intervention 'Restart' for individuals with self-reported gambling problems. Methods: A total of 94 participants with self-reported gambling problems were investigated for positive and unwanted effects using the Positive and Negative Effects of Psychotherapy Scale for Internet-Based Intervention (PANEPS-I) after using the internet-based intervention 'Restart' for six weeks. Results: < .001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that while self-guided internet-based interventions can serve as valuable tools for individuals reluctant to seek traditional therapy, they require careful refinement to address user-specific needs and reduce adverse outcomes. Future research should focus on identifying factors that predispose individuals to positive and unwanted effects and explore intervention modifications, such as integrating optional therapeutic support or personalized content adaptations.
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Cites
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“MP and UP, which were reported by a notable proportion of participants, may reflect challenges in delivering standardized content that resonates appropriately with diverse user needs and backgrounds (Linden, 2013).”
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“Notable additions include a new module on sports betting and an initial motivation-building module utilizing motivational interviewing techniques (DiClemente et al., 2017; Yakovenko et al., 2015).”
Treatment Response, Symptom Remission, and Wellness in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
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“Despite the well-established advantages of internet-based interventions (Andersson et al., 2019; Andersson and Cuijpers, 2008; Andersson and Titov, 2014), unwanted effects can also occur (Boettcher et al., 2014; Karyotaki et al., 2018; Rozental et al., 2015).”
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Self-citationPros and cons of online cognitive–behavioural therapy
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- Authors
- Rolvien, L., Sönmez, D., Schuurmans, L., Borgmann, L., Schmüser, A., Moritz, S., & Baumeister, A.
- Affiliations
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Rolvien, Lara
- Venue
- Internet Interventions
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2025-12
- Volume
- 42
- Pages
- 100893
- ISSN
- 2214-7829 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC12719061
- OpenAlex
- W4416906418
- Cited by
- 0
- References
- 10
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Internet Interventions (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Keywords
- problem gambling, gambling addiction, unwanted effects, online therapy
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