Treatment and support
Health professionals can play an important role in identifying gambling-related harm in patients and help connect them to gambling support services. Understanding and identifying the signs, effects and co-occurrence of gambling harm can help you:
- understand and identify signs of gambling harm
- effectively screen patients for gambling harm
- feel confident in talking to patients about gambling harm
- make appropriate treatment and referral interventions.
In this section:
Understanding gambling harm as a health issue
Information for general practitioners and allied health professionals to help understand and identify the signs, effects and co-occurrence of gambling harm in patients.
How to support a client with gambling related issues
Information for general practitioners and allied health professionals on how to support patients who are experiencing harm from gambling, including screening for gambling harm, how to have a conversation and how to refer patients to Gambler’s Help.
Information for health professionals about the services and programs delivered by Gambler’s Help agencies throughout Victoria.
Gambling harm treatment and support insights
Research shows people seeking help for gambling harm are often experiencing other problems, such as anxiety or substance use issues. A 2015 study found almost three in four people receiving help for gambling were experiencing co-occurring or ‘comorbid’ conditions.
Conversely, clients of other services may be experiencing harm from gambling. A recent Foundation-funded study reported that 6% of clients of Victorian mental health services experience severe gambling problems, a rate eight times higher than the general population.
Only 10% of people with gambling problems seek formal help. When they do come into contact with services, it is often for other issues such as health, relationship breakdown or drug and alcohol issues which can result in problem gambling being unrecognised and untreated.