Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 2001, 29, 379–383 Cambridge University Press. Printed in the United Kingdom PREDICTORS OF THERAPEUTIC FAILURE IN SLOT-MACHINE PATHOLOGICAL GAMBLERS FOLLOWING BEHAVIOURAL TREATMENT Enrique Echeburu ´a Universidad del Paı ´s Vasco, San Sebastia ´n, Espan ˜a Javier Ferna ´ndez-Montalvo Universidad Pu ´blica de Navarra, Pamplona, Espan ˜a Concepcio ´nBa ´ez Servicio Vasco de Salud, San Sebastia ´n, Espan ˜a Abstract. The aim of this paper was to determine the features of pathological gamblers who dropped out of the treatment or relapsed within a one year follow-up period. The sample consisted of 69 patients selected according to DSM-IV criteria. Results indicated that the only difference between the patients who dropped out of treatment and the ones who com- pleted was the level of state-anxiety. The former were more anxious than the latter. Predict- ive variables for the therapeutic failure were the dissatisfaction with the treatment, the high level of alcohol consumption, and the neuroticism as a personality variable. Implications of the study for clinical practice and future research in this field are commented upon. Keywords: Pathological gambling, behavioural treatment, drop-out, relapse, therapeutic fail- ure, predictive variables. Introduction Over the last years there has been an important breakthrough in the therapy of addictive behaviours, but the results obtained in the long-term maintenance of the abstinence are not so encouraging. In the case of pathological gambling only a few studies have been carried out with the objective of determining the variables that facilitate or prevent relapse: mental capacity (McCormick & Taber, 1991); participation of wives in Gamblers Anonymous (Zion, Tracy, & Abell, 1991); locus of control (Johnson, Nora, & Bustos, 1992); and satis- Reprint requests and requests for extended report to Enrique Echeburu ´a, Facultad de Psicologia, Universidad del Paı ´s Vasco, Avenida de Tolosa 70, 20018 San Sebastia ´n, Espan ˜a. E-mail: ptpodece@ss.ehu.es  2001 British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies