Citation

Rintoul A, Marionneau V, Livingstone C, Nikkinen J, Kipsaina C. Front. Psychiatry 2023; 14: e1214531.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Frontiers Media)

DOI

10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1214531

PMID

37333930

PMCID

PMC10269197

Abstract

Gambling has traditionally been framed by industry, governments and even some academic researchers as a source of recreation, entertainment, and fun (1, 2). In established markets where gambling has been legal for many decades, it has arguably been normalized (3). Yet the reality for those who gamble at high-risk levels belies notions of glamor and excitement that often accompany these popular gambling myths. Framings matter: they determine how gambling is perceived and regulated (2). If gambling is framed as entertainment rather than as a public health concern, regulation is unlikely to be effective in terms of preventing the many harms that gambling causes to individuals, families, and societies (4).

The dominant "responsible gambling" paradigm focuses on individual responsibility. It leads to suboptimal regulation that does not target commercial practices, harmful products, and normalization which are the root of gambling harms. If individuals are seen to bear the sole responsibility for their gambling, those who are unable to control themselves are seen as "irresponsible" and stigmatized (5). The stigma of excessive gambling is often internalized by the individuals who gamble. This can lead to concealing problems and avoiding treatment (6) which can further aggravate harm.

In recent years, research on the harms connected to gambling has become more established. This has occurred alongside concerns about the conflicted evidence base upon which regulation is based, and the ways in which vested (commercial) interests have distorted our understanding of the locus of harm production (7-9). Suicide is among the most severe harmful consequences of gambling, and evidence of a link between gambling, suicidality and suicide is rapidly mounting (10, 11). Systematic reviews have established that gambling is a risk factor for suicide (10) and recent longitudinal evidence suggests that besides clinical problem gambling, any increase in the measured severity of problem gambling is linked to increased suicidality among young adults...

Language: en

Keywords

suicide prevention; harm reduction; commercial determinants of health; discourse; framing; gambling; responsible gambling