Evaluation of the Gambling Habits of Adolescents and Young Adults Post-COVID-19 and Implementation of a Digital Escape Room Intervention for Preventing Gambling in High School Students

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

GAMBL-OUT program: The GAMBL-OUT program consists of two sessions: the first one involves a digital escape room to be delivered in the classroom and a series of physical props to be used during the experience. In small groups (4-5 students), participants need to work together to solve different puzzles and riddles, all of them related to the story of young adults who are dealing with problem gambling. By the end of the game, which will have a limited time (50 minutes), each group will have gained access to a different password. The second session will start from here: each group will share their password so the final puzzle can be solved, and the game will conclude with in a group discussion about what was learned (40 minutes).

Study summary

Gambling behaviors among adolescents and young adults have been experiencing an upward trend in the last years, possibly because of new habits developed during the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Different preventive strategies have been proposed: universal classroom-based interventions have shown promising evidence as preventive tools, but challenges exist in engaging the target audience effectively. Serious games, i.e., those designed with the specific intent to educate, broaden knowledge, and change behaviors, have been tested with positive outcomes. Digital escape rooms constitute a modality of serious game that has shown potential for a variety of educational purposes, but their efficacy for preventing addictive behaviors, as well as their long-term impact, has not been widely studied.

The present project aims at assessing the gambling habits of a sample of 16-25-year-olds in the region of Aragon, Spain, that could be compared to the data gathered before the pandemic started, so not only the prevalence rates can be updated but also potential differences in habits (e.g., preferred gambling alternatives) can be detected. This will undoubtedly help the design of effective preventive measures, such as the GAMBL-OUT digital escape room, a serious game to be implemented in high schools with the aim of increasing knowledge, reducing intentions to gamble, and changing attitudes towards gambling.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Problem gambling screening (PGSI) — Baseline
  In the intervention group. This 9-item scale assesses problematic gambling behaviors in the last 12 months and harmful consequences related to gambling. Items are rated on a 4-point scale (0 = never, 3 = almost always). The final score ranges from 0 to 27 and can be interpreted as follows: 0 = non-problem gamblers, 1-2 = low-risk gamblers, 3-7 = moderate-risk gamblers, and 8 and above = problem gamblers).
• Problem gambling screening (PGSI) — Three-months follow-up
  In the intervention group. This 9-item scale assesses problematic gambling behaviors in the last 12 months and harmful consequences related to gambling. Items are rated on a 4-point scale (0 = never, 3 = almost always). The final score ranges from 0 to 27 and can be interpreted as follows: 0 = non-problem gamblers, 1-2 = low-risk gamblers, 3-7 = moderate-risk gamblers, and 8 and above = problem gamblers).
• Problem gambling screening (PGSI) — Baseline
  In the control group. This 9-item scale assesses problematic gambling behaviors in the last 12 months and harmful consequences related to gambling. Items are rated on a 4-point scale (0 = never, 3 = almost always). The final score ranges from 0 to 27 and can be interpreted as follows: 0 = non-problem gamblers, 1-2 = low-risk gamblers, 3-7 = moderate-risk gamblers, and 8 and above = problem gamblers).
• Problem gambling screening (PGSI) — Three-months follow-up
  In the control group. This 9-item scale assesses problematic gambling behaviors in the last 12 months and harmful consequences related to gambling. Items are rated on a 4-point scale (0 = never, 3 = almost always). The final score ranges from 0 to 27 and can be interpreted as follows: 0 = non-problem gamblers, 1-2 = low-risk gamblers, 3-7 = moderate-risk gamblers, and 8 and above = problem gamblers).

Trial sites (1)

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