Mini-Review: Recovery without treatment in gambling disorder and problematic gambling

Aim: Remission without formal treatment from substance use disorders has been found to be very common in a number of studies. Less data is available for behavioral addictions. Here, we review studies on untreated remission from gambling disorder. Method: A systematic review was performed by an electronic search in PubMed and Web of Science. After removing duplicates, 152 studies were checked for relevance and inclusion criteria. Finally, 8 studies could be used for this review. Results: About 80 % of all remitters quit gambling without formal help with higher rates for men compared to women. Treated recovery is related to a higher severity of the gambling disorder and to a greater extent of negative consequences. The methodological quality of the studies was mixed. Some were fl awed by small sample sizes, sample selection bias, and weak assessment tools. The general population studies were of high quality. Conclusion: Findings of remission without formal help from gambling disorder parallel fi ndings of untreated recovery from substance use disorders. The small number of studies found in this systematical review reveals a signifi cant research gap. This is very deplorable as such studies could advise treatment providers and public health professionals with important information on how to overcome gambling disorder.