The ATTC/NIATx Service Improvement Blog: Winning Reads for Problem Gambling Awareness Month

March 5, 2018
Maureen Fitzerald
ATTC Network Coordinating Office/NIATx

We've rounded up a few great resources to help you stay up-to-date on the latest in prevention, education, and treatment for problem gambling--not just during Problem Gambling Awareness Month, but year-round:

1. The Worldwide Addiction Gambling Addiction Report (WAGER): Special Series on Gambling Disorder. Sign up for this e-newsletter for quick access to "the latest and most rigorous gambling research." Introducing the series, researcher and editor Dr. Heather Gray writes:

"Throughout the month, our science reviews will illustrate how gambling disorder intersects with other expressions of addiction and mental health concerns. First up next week, we will review a study of decision-making impairments common to both Alcohol Use Disorders and Gambling Disorder. "

2. 2016 National Survey of Problem Gambling Services: Released by the National Council on Problem Gambling and the Association of Problem Gambling Services Administrators, this survey found that funding for problem gambling disorder treatment varies considerably across states.

See related editorial from Nature: Science has a gambling problem

"While states receive funding and policy guidance from the federal government for other addiction disorders, similar guidance is lacking for problem gambling," says Dr. Jeffrey Marotta, the principal investigator for the survey. "As a result, there is a significant disparity in the ways states are addressing this issue."

Dr. Marotta encourages treatment and recovery services professionals to be vigilant about problem gambling in treatment and recovery planning.

"Problem gambling is prevalent among those obtaining services for a substance use disorder but frequently hidden, so the first course of action is detection," says Dr. Marotta. "Discussing gambling behaviors also needs to be integrated into conversations about ongoing recovery. People completing addiction treatment may be heightened risk of relapse due to unaddressed gambling issues, addiction switching, or being affected by a loved one's gambling problem.”

3. Responsible Gambling: A Review of the Research: This white paper from the National Center for Responsible Gaming, written by Senior Researcher Christine Reilly, analyzed studies of responsible gambling: programs that seek to prevent or reduce gambling-related harms.

"However, are these programs safe? Are they effective? A review of the scientific literature by the leading gambling researchers indicates a dearth of science-based, peer- reviewed programs in this area."

Want to find out more about Problem Gambling Disorder?

Take ATTC Network's FREE self-paced online course on problem gambling, available through HealtheKnowledge. (Look for Problem Gambling Disorder in the "Special Topics in Behavioral Health" section.) The course consists of one-hour modules presented by national experts on topics including problem gambling diagnosis, screening, treatment, and special populations. Complete the quizzes after each module, and you'll earn continuing education credits. (There's a small fee for the CEUs.)

Related ATTC Network e-publications:

Screening for Problem Gambling: Have the Conversation (ATTC Messenger, March 2016). Dr. Loreen Rugle, Director of the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling, gives a great overview on ways behavioral health professionals can include discussion of and screening for problem gambling with their clients with substance use disorders.

Research on Gambling Disorders (ATTC Messenger, March 2015). Christine Reilly, Senior Research Director, National Center for Responsible Gaming, shares the importance of screening for an existing or emerging gambling problem.

Take the Quiz: How much do you know about problem gambling? (ATTC/NIATx Blog, March 2017)

Problem Gambling: Let's Bring the Problem out of Hiding (ATTC NIATx Blog, March 2014)