Rutgers University’s Center for Gambling Studies and Kindbridge Research Institute joined hands to develop a telehealth model that seeks to treat players with gambling addiction. The telehealth company located in Tennessee has announced that it will be launching a research institute with the sole aim of treating people living with gambling and gambling addiction.
The Tennessee-based company is teaming up with a UK Gaming company to create the Kindbridge Research Institute.
Rutgers University Center for Gambling Studies has been tasked to oversee the construction and launch of the telehealth model. The research institute seeks “to create an evidence-based teletherapy model for gambling and gaming disorders.”
Study Focuses on Mental Health
This partnership aims to increase therapeutic effectiveness in online gambling environments by leveraging technological developments that increase understanding and treatment of the effects of gambling addiction. A study on gambling and gambling addiction in the US was also spearheaded through the partnership led by Professor Lia Nower.
The study’s area of interest is mental health for gamblers, gaming, and people suffering from digital addiction. The research also sites out areas supporting the affected gamblers.
“We are pleased to partner with the Kindbridge Research Institute and the Kindbridge Clinical Network to develop the next generation of gambling treatments, services, and support in the United States.”
The partnership will use data from clinical networks to comprehend potential harmful gambling and gaming behaviors. The data is then taken through a personalized analysis on an intelligent treatment approach designed to provide the right impact for the patient.
The Partnership offers Insight on Gambling Treatment
Kindbridge CEO Daniel Umfleet said, “Combining data from players with Kindbridge’s clinical network provides meaningful insights that have never been achieved. The size of the dataset currently suffers from harmful gambling behaviors and impacts…the study gives data scientists, scholars and researchers more insight into effective support and treatment in a digital environment.”
He added in a press statement that, “The centralized approach that we are taking to offering telehealth services to the gambling community is giving an inside look at the demographic of individuals and family members that suffer from gambling problems on a scale that should allow data scientists, academics and researchers to gain more insight than ever before.”
According to the North American Foundation for Gambling Addiction Help survey in 2016, the US alone has at least 10 million people addicted to gambling. The gambling problem is estimated to cost the US economy over $6 billion annually. The legalization and expansion of casinos across different states in the US have contributed to the growth of the online gambling industry, thus a rise in gambling addiction.
Lia Nower, JD, Ph.D., Professor, and director of Rutgers’ Center for Gambling Studies, is a leading researcher on the gambling problem in the US. In a press release, she said, “Kindbridge is the first treatment agency in the US that is exclusively focused in these areas, and delivering treatment we can test for effectiveness fills an unmet need in this time of rapid expansion.”
Kindbridge seeks to involve as many companies as possible in the program scheduled to kick off in the next two years. They have sought participation from the federal and state regulators, NGOs, and the casino industry. The press release published that, “The research Institute will be able to analyze player data to understand better the origin of disordered gambling and gaming behavior alongside outcome data from the Kindbridge clinical network.”
The company noted that “it will enable the Kindbridge Research Institute to gather a detailed picture of the player journey …from the origin of the problematic gambling or gaming behavior, through to what has the greatest impact on outcomes for those seeking help.”
Last Updated on by Andrew
