Effects of Positive Psychological Group Psychotherapy and Auricular Acupressure on Withdrawal Symptoms

Summary

Objective The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of auricular acupressure and group counseling with positive psychology on gambling severity, withdrawal symptoms, and dopamine. Methods This study is a randomized controlled trial and has been performed at a University in South Korea. 180 gamblers and 60 non-gamblers will be recruited. In the first year, gamblers will be randomly assigned to two groups: Experimental Group 1 (auricular acupressure); and Control Group 1 (education material to stop and cope withdrawal symptoms). And Normal Group will be recruited independently. Furthermore, a single blind randomized controlled trial will be performed in second and third year. And gamblers will be randomly assigned to three groups: Experimental Group 2 (auricular acupressure + group counseling); Placebo Group (placebo acupressure + group counseling); and Control Group 2 (education material to stop and cope withdrawal symptoms). Auricular acupressure using acupellets is performed for 6 weeks continuously.

Eligibility

\[For first-year\]:

Inclusion Criteria:

1. gamblers who - are more than 19 years old

   \- had a total gambling period of more than six months
   * gambled within a month
   * wanted to quit gambling
   * had eight or more PGSI(Problem Gambling Severity Index) scores
   * had no ear infections
   * were not allergic to copper or aluminum
   * willing to complete questionnaires
   * agreed to extract blood
2. non-gamblers who

   * were over the age of 19
   * willing to complete questionnaires
   * agreed to extract blood
   * got zero or received the lowest scores on alcoholism, smartphone addiction, game addiction, and gambling addiction tests
   * had never smoked
   * never been blacked out in their lives
   * had negative outcome in cotinine urine tests
   * had no medical or psychological diagnosis
   * no medication for therapeutic purposes

Exclusion Criteria:

1. gamblers who - were pregnant - had experiences in taking drugs, including marijuana.
2. non-gamblers who

   * were pregnant
   * had taken painkillers in recent a week prior to blood testing
   * had experiences in taking drugs, including marijuana

\[For second and third year\]:

Inclusion Criteria:

1\. gamblers

\- will be the same as those in the first year of the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

1\. gamblers who

* were undergoing gambling counseling
* were on medication
* had taken painkillers in the past a week
* were pregnant
* had experiences in taking drugs, including marijuana

Conditions2

Browse More Trials