Effectiveness of Sertraline in Treating Pathological Gamblers With a Diagnosis of Alcohol Dependence - 1

Inclusion Criteria: * Meets DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling * Meets DSM-IV and SCID criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence * Medically healthy Exclusion Criteria: * History of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder * Current diagnosis of substance abuse or dependence, other than alcohol or nicotine * Current major depression * Currently suicidal * History of non-response to an adequate trial of sertraline, defined as 200 mg per day of sertraline for at least a 4-week period * Previous treatment with relapse prevention therapy for pathological gambling or alcohol dependence within the 3 months prior to study entry * Requires treatment with psychotropic medication * Unwilling to consent to a drug-free period, according to the following: 2 weeks of abstinence from antidepressant drugs, other than fluoxetine, buspirone, lithium, anticonvulsants, barbiturates, opiates, or benzodiazepines; 4 weeks of abstinence from clonazepam; 5 weeks of abstinence from fluoxetine * Clinically significant disorder, including kidney, pulmonary, cerebral vascular, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and endocrine disorders * Abnormal laboratory tests * Abnormal electrocardiogram * Pregnant or breastfeeding * Unwilling to use an adequate method of contraception for the duration of the study