Kindbridge Research Institute

PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CARE FOR GAMBLERS AND GAMERS.

IN 2021, KINDBRIDGE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (KRI) HAD TWO BROAD SCOPES FOR RESEARCH: INTRAMURAL RESEARCH, WHICH INCLUDES STUDIES UTILIZING DATA FROM, OR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, KINDBRIDGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH; AND EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH, WHICH TAKES ON BROADER SOCIETAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH AND GAMBLING OR GAMING-RELATED HARM. INTRAMURAL THE INTRAMURAL RESEARCH PROGRAM IN 2021 ADVANCED 1 STUDY (PI: NOWER) ON THE BEST WAY TO TREAT PEOPLE WITH GAMBLING AND GAMBLING PROBLEMS, AND TRAIN TREATMENT PROVIDERS WHO ARE WORKING WITH THIS POPULATION. NOWER STUDY BACKGROUND: THOUGH FORMAL TREATMENT FOR GAMBLING DISORDER GOES BACK TO AT LEAST THE 1960'S, THE EMERGENCE OF TELEHEALTH AS A MODALITY FOR TREATMENT HAS CREATED NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE TREATMENT FOR THIS IMPORTANT, OFTEN OVERLOOKED CONDITION. DR. LIA NOWER AND HER TEAM AT RUTGERS HAVE BEEN LEADERS IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH ON TREATMENT FOR GAMBLING DISORDER FOR DECADES. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY AIMS TO ESTABLISH A BASELINE FOR TELEHEALTH TREATMENT MODALITIES AND TRAIN CLINICIANS TREATING PEOPLE WITH GAMBLING DISORDER. THE DATA GATHERING PUT IN PLACE ALLOWS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF TREATMENT AND TRAINING OVER TIME. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: IN 2021, THE PROJECT WAS INITIATED, FUNDED, AND AWARDED TO DR. LIA NOWER AND COLLEAGUES AT RUTGERS. THE INITIAL STUDY DESIGN AND DATA GATHERING PLANS WERE PRODUCED AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM WAS BEGUN ALONG WITH KINDBRIDGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. FUTURE PLANS: THIS STUDY WILL PRODUCE HIGH QUALITY PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH AND ACTIONABLE TREATMENT INFORMATION WHICH WILL BE DISSEMINATED BY DR. NOWER AND KRI. THE DATA COLLECTION CONTINUES AND WILL PRODUCE ADDITIONAL FINDINGS AS TIME PROGRESSES AND MORE PEOPLE COMPLETE TREATMENT. EXTRAMURALTHE EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH PROGRAM IN 2021 CREATED 2 PROGRAMS, 50X4VETS AND MRAP, BOTH WITH THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR US MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS EXPERIENCING HARM FROM GAMBLING. 50X4VETSBACKGROUND: THERE ARE 19 MILLION VETERANS IN THE US AND US VETERANS EXPERIENCE RATES OF GAMBLING DISORDER THAT ARE 3-6 TIMES HIGHER THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION. DESPITE THIS GREAT NEED, ONLY 2 PEER-REVIEWED STUDIES OF TREATMENT FOR GAMBLING DISORDER AMONG VETERANS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE LAST 25 YEARS. OBJECTIVES: THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO TRANSFORM THE FIELD OF TREATMENT FOR VETERANS WITH GAMBLING DISORDER BY INCREASING THE RATE OF RESEARCH BY 50 TIMES IN THE NEXT 4 YEARS. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: IN 2021, KRI FUNDRAISED ENOUGH MONEY TO SUPPORT 2 RESEARCH CENTERS FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS. THE RESEARCH CENTERS ARE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INPATIENT VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HEALTH PROGRAMS IN CLEVELAND, OH AND LAS VEGAS, NV. FUTURE PLANS: THE RESEARCH CENTERS AND THEIR VA COLLEAGUES WILL BEGIN PRODUCING PEER-REVIEWED WORK IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, AND WILL LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR CHANGING RESEARCH AND PRACTICE AROUND GAMBLING DISORDER AND VETERANS IN THE US. FUTURE PROJECTS WILL DISSEMINATE THESE STUDIES AND METHODS TO OTHER VA HEALTH CENTERS AND ULTIMATELY THE ENTIRE VA HEALTH SYSTEM. MRAPBACKGROUND: IN THE US, THERE ARE HARDLY ANY HIGHLY-TRAINED VETERANS IN LABS WORKING TO IMPROVE GAMBLING DISORDER AND MENTAL HEALTH. HOWEVER, MANY VETERANS HAVE THE INTEREST, SKILLS, AND WORK EXPERIENCE TO TRAIN FOR THESE POSITIONS. OBJECTIVES: THE GOAL OF THE MILITARY RESEARCH ASSOCIATE PROGRAM (MRAP) IS TO PROVIDE TRANSITIONING VETERANS THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO GET ACCEPTED INTO AND THRIVE IN HIGH-QUALITY MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH/TREATMENT PROGRAMS, WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON GAMBLING DISORDER AND GAMING DISORDER. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: IN 2021, KRI CREATED AND PILOTED THE MRAP PROGRAM. THE 1ST MRAP RECRUIT WAS TRAINED, SUPPORTED, AND PROVIDED RESOURCES RESULTING IN 1 PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATION (IN PRESS), AN INVITATION TO PRESENT A POSTER AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, AND SUCCESSFUL ADMISSION TO MASTERS PROGRAMS AT JOHNS HOPKINS, BOSTON UNIVERSITY, GEORGE WASHINGTON, AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. FUTURE PLANS: THE MRAP PROGRAM HAS PROVEN THAT ITS GOALS ARE ACHIEVABLE. FUTURE GOALS ARE TO EXPAND THE PIPELINE OF MRAP SCHOLARS, SECURE LONG-TERM FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM, AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE MRAP FELLOWS WHEREVER THEIR JOURNEYS MAY GO.