청소년 온라인 도박중독의 실태 및 지역사회 개입 방안을 위한 질적 탐색 연구

A Qualitative Study on the Status of Online Gambling Addiction Among Adolescents and Intervention in the Community

Objectives: To determine the current level of online gambling addiction among Korean adolescents and understand difficulties associ- ated with assessment and intervention in community settings. Methods: Focus group interviews were conducted with 15 practitioners in addiction and mental health organizations of Korea. Data obtained from these interviews were classified through a qualitative analysis. Results: Four themes consisting of 13 categories and 45 subcategories were derived. Problems resulting from adolescents’ experience with online gambling were classified into personal/school life and academic/social/crime and law-related problems. Mental health and addiction-related institutes in the community provided interventions for adolescents’ online gambling, including screening, individual and group counseling, parental counseling, prevention education, campaigns, support for treatment costs, and referrals to specialized facilities. However, according to assessment and intervention process, there were difficulties such as defensive and uncooperative atti- tude of adolescents/guardians, lack of awareness of addiction, lack of literacy in survey questions, unplanned early termination, and lack of a practical manual. Difficulties in linking to infrastructure for specialized treatment facilities were also reported. Conclusion: Results of this study suggest that preventing, screening, and early intervening are important to reduce the risk of online gambling addiction among adolescents. Effective intervention strategies and implications in community settings are also suggested.