The Little Blue Book

SOME FACTS ABOUT GAMBLING and GAMBLING DISORDER: • Problem gamblers are at increased risk of suicide and substance use disorders • Up to 17% of suicidal patients seen by The Alfred hospital’s emergency department is a problem gambler 1 • Problem gambling and mental health disorders are strongly linked: − Around 24% of moderate risk gamblers and 42% of problem gamblers had been diagnosed with depression − Around 20% of moderate risk gamblers and 39% of problem gamblers had been diagnosed with anxiety 2 − Problem gamblers are nearly 20 times more likely to display severe psychological distress 3 • Gambling alters the same reward circuits in the brain (triggering neurochemical release) as drug use • Children and siblings of pathological gamblers are eight times more likely to become problem gamblers than relatives of people without pathological gambling 4 • Problem gamblers and drug addicts share many of the same genetic predispositions for impulsivity and reward seeking 5 • A US study found that 44% of problem gamblers also have a lifetime history of alcohol-use disorder. 6 RECOGNISING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND OTHER DISORDERS 82