Motivating factors and barriers to help-seeking for casino gamblers: results from a survey in Swiss casinos

Frontiers in Psychiatry

Psychiatry

Emilien Jeannot¹  Jürg Schwarz²  Suzanne Lischer²  Hannes Wallimann²  Jacqueline Mathys² 

[1] Centre Du Jeu Excessif, Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland;Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Chemin de Mines, Geneva, Switzerland;Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Lucerne, Switzerland;

关键词: problem gambling;    help-seeking;    casino;    exclusion;    public health;    disordered gambling;    gambling-specific help service;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1128291

 received in 2022-12-20, accepted in 2023-04-27,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionGambling can have serious consequences for many aspects of a person’s life. Yet relatively few people with gambling problems seek help. This study examines the extent to which exclusion from casino venues among other factors may act as a motivator for further help-seeking among casino gamblers (both landbased and remote) with at-risk or disordered gambling behavior. In addition, the barriers that prevent gamblers from accepting help are examined.MethodsGamblers from Swiss casinos completed a written questionnaire twice, at 6-month intervals. The questions included whether they had sought help in the past 6 months.ResultsFor those with a SOGS-R rating of 1 or over (n = 173) at the second survey point, a difference in help-seeking was found between the excluded and non-excluded gamblers (p < .001), suggesting that exclusion may be a motivator for help-seeking. Reported differences in levels of debt (p = .006), recognition of gambling problems (p = .010) and severity of gambling-related problems (p = .004) can be taken to suggest that other motivating factors may also influence help-seeking behavior. With regard to the support sought, the most frequently used forms of support were specialized addiction counseling centers (39.5%), followed by self-help groups (21.1%) and remote counseling centers (10.5%). In terms of barriers, reasons relating to attitude, such as denial, appear to pose greater barriers than treatment-related concerns.DiscussionFrom a public health perspective, an overarching strategy is required to increase the share of help-seekers among casino gamblers through targeted measures.

【 授权许可】

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Copyright © 2023 Lischer, Schwarz, Wallimann, Jeannot and Mathys.