Drug treatments for adolescents with gambling problems?
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It is important to identify an effective treatment for this age group, as adolescents are at a higher risk for developing gambling-related problems than adults. However, no drug trials focused on pathological gambling have been conducted with this age group. Determining which drugs might be safe, tolerable and effective for adolescents is more complex than simply applying what we already know about pharmacological treatments for adults (Grant & Potenza, 2010).
Currently, there are no pharmacological treatments approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pathological gambling, though several drugs have shown potential in this area. One medication that has performed well in clinical trials is naltrexone, which has been used to blunt cravings for alcohol. Several studies suggest that naltrexone can reduce the intensity of gambling urges among adults with pathological gambling. Naltrexone is currently approved by the FDA as a treatment for alcohol dependence, and has been u...
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