The TREAT Lab conducts research aimed at improving the effectiveness of psychological treatments for addictive disorders. Our research focuses on understanding whether treatments work (treatment outcomes), how treatments produce change (treatment processes), and how evidence can be synthesized to improve clinical practice.
Current Research Projects
Preventing Gambling Disorder among College Students
This study examines whether a brief, personalized feedback intervention can reduce gambling problems and promote healthier gambling behaviors among college students. In addition to evaluating whether the intervention works, this study examines how the intervention produces change and whether benefits extend beyond gambling outcomes.
Research questions include:
- Does the intervention work? Does personalized feedback reduce gambling problems among college students?
- How does the intervention work? Do increases in the use of responsible gambling strategies help explain improvements in gambling outcomes following the intervention?
- Do benefits extend beyond gambling? Does participation in the intervention influence broader areas of functioning, including academic success?
Meta-Analytic Research Domain on Psychological Treatments for Gambling Disorder
The TREAT Lab is collaborating with an international group of researchers to maintain a living, open-access meta-analysis database focused on psychological treatments for problem gambling and gambling disorder. This research infrastructure allows investigators to systematically evaluate randomized clinical trials of psychological treatments and identify factors associated with treatment effectiveness. The project supports ongoing and future meta-analyses examining what treatments work, for whom, and under what circumstances.
Current Funding
International Center for Responsible Gaming, Modernized and Personalized Prevention of College Student Gambling Harm, September 2024 – August 2027, Role: Principal investigator