Gambling problems in the family – A stratified probability sample study of prevalence and reported consequences

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prior studies on the impact of problem gambling in the family mainly include help-seeking populations with small numbers of participants. The objective of the present stratified probability sample study was to explore the epidemiology of problem gambling in the family in the general population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Men and women 16–74 years-old randomly selected from the Norwegian national population database received an invitation to participate in this postal questionnaire study. The response rate was 36.1% (3,483/9,638). Given the lack of validated criteria, two survey questions ("Have you ever noticed that a close relative spent more and more money on gambling?" and "Have you ever experienced that a close relative lied to you about how much he/she gambles?") were extrapolated from the Lie/Bet Screen for pathological gambling. Respondents answering "yes" to both questions were defined as Concerned Significant Others (CSOs).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, 2.0% of the study population was defined as CSOs. Young age, female gender, and divorced marital status were factors positively associated with being a CSO. CSOs often reported to have experienced conflicts in the family related to gambling, worsening of the family's financial situation, and impaired mental and physical health.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Problematic gambling behaviour not only affects the gambling individual but also has a strong impact on the quality of life of family members.</p

Reasons for using web-based counselling among family and friends impacted by problem gambling

Despite the range of free services available in Australia, few family and friends of&nbsp;people with problem gambling access them. Over recent years, the Australian&nbsp;gambling help service system has expanded to include web-based counselling.&nbsp;Family and friends make up approximately 15% of people accessing this new&nbsp;modality, however little is known of the reasons for choosing this form of assistance&nbsp;over other interventions. This research aimed to understand the reasons family and&nbsp;friends choose to use single-session web-based counselling over other modes (i.e.,&nbsp;face-to-face and telephone), as well as why they would recommend it to other&nbsp;affected people. The study involved 63 participants (70% intimate partners, 13%&nbsp;children, 6% friends, 5% parents, 6% other family members) who completed openended&nbsp;questions on reasons for using and recommending web-based counselling,&nbsp;with over three-quarters of the sample seeking help for the first time. A descriptive&nbsp;content analysis revealed multiple overlapping themes, including ease of access&nbsp;(41.3% of reasons for choosing), privacy and anonymity (17.5%), and a preference for&nbsp;the characteristics inherent in the therapeutic medium (23.8%). We also found webbased&nbsp;counselling provided a pathway into services (11.1%) and that the intervention&nbsp;provided was viewed as helpful and a reason for recommendation (34.9% of reasons&nbsp;for recommending). This research provides important new information on the help seeking&nbsp;preferences of family and friends. Future research is required to understand&nbsp;the relationship between reasons for use, help-seeking preferences and the&nbsp;effectiveness of single-session web-based counselling for people affected by problem gambling.</span