Building Bridges Between Prevention and Research Ken Winters, Ph.D. University of Minnesota for Prevention of Problem Gambling Conference University of Lethbridge March 27, 2003
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 1. Engage the industry to participate in prevention and intervention research
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 2. Tackle the measurement and definitional issues of “pathological gambling”
Label Hodge-Podge Problem Severity Continuum No gambling At-Risk gambling Social gambling Problem gambling Level 1 to Pathological gambling Compulsive gambling Habitual gambling ?
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 3. What should we prevent? underlying risk factors?
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 3. What should we prevent? underlying risk factors? development of the disorder? attitudes and perceptions?
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 3. What should we prevent? underlying risk factors? development of the disorder? attitudes and perceptions? access and density?
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 3. What should we prevent? underlying risk factors? development of the disorder? access and density? demographic considerations youth elderly
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 4. We are a small fish in a big pond
Playing the Grant Game in the U.S. Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders (spin-off from the National Center for Responsible Gaming) 21 grants funded since the mid-1990’s $3.1 million allocated
Playing the Grant Game in the U.S. National Institutes of Health 10 grants funded since their “request for proposals” in the mid-1990’s $10.2 million allocated
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 5. The standards for rigorous prevention research are high After 25 years of drug abuse research in the U.S., the bar for methodological rigor is quite high. Controlled designs with prospective samples are the norm
Transportability EfficacyEffectiveness Dissemination Diffusion Prevention Intervention Research Model Pre-intervention
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 6. Avoid reinventing the wheel; tap the vast knowledge from drug abuse and related behavioral prevention research.
Lessons Learned from Drug Abuse Prevention Know the psychosocial determinants of the target population. (Youth): Start early. Employ methods that engage the target. Be multi-systemic, multi-dimensional
Multiple Spheres of Influence Individual Family Social Community
Effective Prevention = Use at Least TWO information dissemination prevention education alternative drug-free activities problem identification and referral community-based intervention environmental approach
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 7. Harm reduction, risk reduction and pattern normalization strategies are worthy of consideration, despite their ideological controversies.
Spectrum of Intervention Responses Adapted from Broadening the Base of Alcohol Treatment (IOM) Primary Prevention Non-player Infrequent play Heavy play Subclinical Problem Harm Reduction Harm Reduction/ Abstinence Thresholds for Action
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 8. Of the major models.... universal targeted indicated which should receive priority given limited $$?
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 9. The web has great potential; can it be harnessed for effective prevention?
Top Ten Issues for Building a Prevention-Research Agenda 10. Proceed with caution.
Avoid the DARE Phenomenon Just because a prevention effort is popular, well-received, highly integrated into the community, and affordable, it does not mean that it WROKS!
Remember JFK’s Warning “Twenty-five percent of the people are against everything all the time.”
Thank You