A sample of 38 regular and heavy gamblers, recruited through advertisements and not seeking treatment, were asked to describe special strategies, techniques or rituals that they used to increase their chances of winning at gambling in an open-ended interview. The mean South Oaks Gambling Screen Score for the sample was 7.7 with 64% of the sample scoring higher than 4. Their responses reflected multiple means by which the individual believed they were able to control (i.e., active illusory control, passive illusory control), reframe (i.e., interpretive control), or predict (i.e., probability control, predictive control) gambling outcomes. A larger number of cognitive distortions was associated with playing games in which skill was potentially a component (e.g., cards, sports) than in non-skill games (e.g., lotteries) as well as a positive family history of gambling. There were no sex differences. Implications of these findings for the cognitive psychopathology of gambling are discussed.

Patients seeking treatment at the Addiction Research Foundation for a substance problem but who also reported psychiatric symptomatology were referred to the Mental Health Unit. Following a clinical psychiatric interview, these patients were categorized into one of six diagnostic subgroups based on the presence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders: mood, anxiety, psychotic, organic, Axis-II, and adjustment. A control group of patients referred to the Mental Health Unit but not diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder was also included. These groups were compared on several demographic, substance use, and psychiatric variables. Patients assigned a diagnosis of organic (substance-induced) and Axis II disorders were found to have more severe substance use histories, alcohol-related consequences and longer treatment histories. Patients with a diagnosis of adjustment disorder appeared to be functioning relatively better. Implications of studying the heterogeneity of comorbidity are discussed.

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Alcohol dependent individuals who also were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder were treated with one of two cognitive-behavioral treatments. Treatment ALC, consisting of 6 sessions of alcohol-specific treatment was compared to treatment ALCANX consisting of 6 sessions of alcohol-specific treatment followed by 4 anxiety-specific sessions. At the end-of-treatment, no significant differences on measures of alcohol consumption or psychiatric (including anxiety) symptomatology were found. Both groups improved to a significant degree. Post-hoc analyses, based on the high degree of other, especially mood and personality disorder, comorbidity in addition to the alcohol use/anxiety disorder indicated that individuals who had the most comorbidity did the poorest on alcohol and psychiatric measures. Implications for the cognitive-behavioral treatment of concurrent alcohol dependence and anxiety disorder are discussed.