What treatments are effective for family members and friends?

Psychological treatments can help family members and friends support the person who gambles and manage the effects of gambling on their own lives. The two main approaches include:

• Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT): This approach, which is based on CBT, helps family members improve their own wellbeing and encourages the person who gambles to reduce their gambling and seek treatment.
• 5-Step method: This approach supports family members by helping them manage gambling harms, gain confidence, build coping skills, find social support, and access additional resources.
• Other approaches include training focused on helping family members and friends develop better coping strategies to reduce emotional distress. Family members and friends who do not want to seek professional help can also access online CBT-based self-help treatments. Couple-based treatments are also available but more research is needed to confirm their effectiveness.