Recruiting

Change 4 Better

Sponsor:

Yale University

Code:

NCT06963931

Conditions

Problem Gambling

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Change4Better (C4B) mobile app

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this research study is to determine the effectiveness of the Change4Better (C4B) mobile app at reducing the severity of problem gambling as compared to standard treatment as usual (TAU).

Conditions

Problem Gambling

Study ID

NCT06963931

Start date

May 1, 2025

Status verified date

May, 2026

Completion date

Dec, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 18 years of age or older;
2. able to speak, read and write in English;
3. report gambling in the past 2 months (60 days);
4. meet DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder within past 12 months as determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for Pathological Gambling - DSM-5 version (SCI-PG-DSM);
5. at least mild gambling severity as measured by GSAS (Total >8)
6. seeking or currently enrolled in treatment for gambling; if seeking treatment, must be deemed appropriate for outpatient level of care by treatment facility clinical team
7. own a smartphone with internet access.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. unwilling or unable to provide informed consent due to severe cognitive impairment or inability to read;
2. deemed to have current untreated psychosis or mania;
3. active suicidal ideation;
4. physical dependence on opioids and/or alcohol requiring medical detoxification.

Study Design

Enrollment

128 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Change4Better (C4B) app plus Treatment As Usual (TAU)

Participants will work with a mobile app that teaches skills for managing gambling. They will learn skills that may help with cognitive distortions related to gambling - for example, how seemingly unrelated events might be related to gambling outcomes. Participants will be taught how to use the mobile app by a staff member and will be asked to spend about 8 hours using the program (approximately 30-45 minutes per module) at home and will be encouraged to complete over the course of 12 weeks. Monthly follow-up will occur for an additional 12 weeks at which time the mobile app will also be available to participants.

no intervention: Treatment As Usual (TAU)

Treatment As Usual (TAU) will consist of standard services provided at outpatient clinics within the Bettor Choice Programs or Kindbridge Behavioral Health. TAU will be tailored to the participants needs, and generally includes individual and/or group therapy sessions. Sessions will generally last for 1 hour one time per week for the first 12 weeks and include issues such as:

  • Teaching about the treatment program at the clinic
  • Teaching important ideas about recovery
  • Increasing knowledge about specific problems participants may have about with gambling
  • Demonstrating new ways of coping with skills designed to fit participants lifestyle.

Interventions

Change4Better (C4B) mobile app

The content of the C4B app is designed to teach key CBT strategies to address gambling behaviors. The content targets concerns that people with gambling problems often experience (gambling debts, cognitive distortions related to gambling - for example, how unrelated events might be related to gambling outcomes). We have designed the content such that people using the app can see the pattern of progress, identify mistakes and setbacks, and learn from common experiences of people with gambling disorder

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in gambling symptom severity [ Time Frame: Baseline to 6 months ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

Kindbridge Behavioral Health

Recruiting

Denver, Colorado, United States, 80237

Contacts

CommuniCare

Recruiting

New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06511

Contacts

Connecticut Renaissance

Recruiting

Norwalk, Connecticut, United States, 06852

Contacts

United Community & Family Services

Recruiting

Norwich, Connecticut, United States, 06360

Contacts

Wheeler Community Healthcare

Recruiting

Plainville, Connecticut, United States, 06062

Contacts

MCCA

Recruiting

Waterbury, Connecticut, United States, 06710

Contacts

More Information

Sponsor

Yale University

Last update posted

May 22, 2026

Last verified

May, 2026

Keywords

  • Problem gambling
  • mobile app

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Yale University on 2026-05-22.