How to support a client with gambling related issues

General practitioners (GPs) and allied health professionals can play an important role in identifying gambling-related harm in patients and help connect them to gambling support services. As a health professional, understanding and identifying the signs, effects and co-occurrence of gambling harm can help you:

• effectively screen patients for gambling harm
• make appropriate treatment and referral interventions.

On this page:

Health professionals outside Gambler’s Help services are often the first port of call for people seeking help with problem gambling.

As a health professional, understanding and identifying the signs, effects and co-occurrence of gambling harm can help you:

• effectively screen patients for gambling harm
• make appropriate treatment and referral interventions.

In primary and allied health care settings

If you think your patient may be experiencing harm from gambling, asking them if they have had an issue with gambling in the past 12 months is the best way to find out.

‘In the past 12 months, have you had an issue with gambling?’

This screening question is validated as having a 92 per cent detection rate for identifying gambling harm in patients in a primary and allied health care setting.

Initiating the conversation with the screening question gives the patient permission to talk about gambling in a non-judgmental and professional way, and gives health professionals the opportunity to recommend a range of free, confidential and tailored support options.

Gambling harm screening tool training program

The gambling harm screening tool, GHA1 (Gambling Harm Assessment 1) training has been developed by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation with guidance from the Gambling Minds team at Alfred Psychiatry and gambling harm clinical consultant Dr Jane Oakes. The screening tool is designed to improve the experience of patients who are negatively affected by gambling together with at least one other co-occurring health issue, such as mental ill health, drug or alcohol use disorder, or family violence.

The Allied Health training modules is for GPs and Allied health practitioners.

• Module one
• Module two

Gambling Harm is highly stigmatised. People experiencing multiple stigmatised issues have reported that they are more willing to acknowledge other issues over gambling harm.

The reluctance of many people to talk about a gambling problem can be due to a number of factors, including:

• shame and embarrassment
• a lack of hope that their gambling can change based on a history of unsuccessful attempts at self-change
• a fear of being judged
• they do not recognise gambling as the main issue
• they recognise the problems caused by their gambling but do not feel able or ready to tackle the issue.

The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) is a standardised measure of at risk behaviour used in many gambling support services. Assessing where your client is now, can help you make informed decisions on how to assist them. This tool used by researchers and counsellors to estimate a person’s risk of experiencing problem gambling. experiencing gambling harm. The most severe harms are experienced by people in the ‘problem gambling PGSI category’, but the majority of harms (70%) are experienced by people in lower risk categories.

View the PGSI quiz.

You may feel uncomfortable about talking to patients about their gambling, however if they do have a problem, they may be relieved to be able to discuss it. If they don't, they're unlikely to be offended by the question. Many clients will feel reluctant or uncomfortable about calling Gambler's Help services, and many may not know such services exist.

All Gambler’s Help services are professional, free, confidential and available 24/7 for people experiencing harm from their own, or someone else’s, gambling.

Treatment options include:

• counselling (face-to-face, telehealth, online)
• peer support
• financial counselling.

Gambler’s Help has the expertise to support people experiencing complex co-occurring AOD and mental health issues.

For more information see Gambler’s Help Programs

General practitioners

Use the service finder (gamblershelp.com.au/service-finder) to locate a Gambler’s Help agency that is convenient for your patient.

Write a referral for your patient to share with the Gambler’s Help agency including:

• your contact details
• the date of consultation
• key issues discussed (e.g. need to cut down on gambling, initial presentation of mental health conditions or AOD issues).

Note: Patients can contact Gambler’s Help directly if they prefer.

Allied health professionals

Encourage your client to visit gamblershelp.com.au or call 1800 858 858 to find the support that’s right for them. Alternatively, you can call Gambler’s Help on your client’s behalf for advice on how best to support them.

Whether a patient feels ready to change their behaviour now or in the future, a referral to Gambler’s Help can help them understand the range of treatment options available and set them on a path to recovery.

By working with professional support, patients are twice as likely to successfully achieve their goals.

What if my patient refuses a referral to Gambler's Help?

Change seldom happens from just one suggestion. It's more likely that people change when they get messages from several sources which is why it important for you to raise the issue with your client. At the very least you will have sown the seeds for change.

If your client cannot be persuaded to attend Gambler's Help services, then your local Gambler's Help providers can still work collaboratively with you and the client. This allows the client to maintain their primary relationship with you, while also receiving a specialist problem gambling service.

Health professionals can contact Gambler's Help on 1800 858 858 anytime to explore the most appropriate response.

Change seldom happens from just one suggestion. It's more likely that people change when they get messages from several sources which is why it important for you to raise the issue with your client. At the very least you will have sown the seeds for change.

If your client cannot be persuaded to attend Gambler's Help services, then your local Gambler's Help providers can still work collaboratively with you and the client. This allows the client to maintain their primary relationship with you, while also receiving a specialist problem gambling service.

Health professionals can contact Gambler's Help on 1800 858 858 anytime to explore the most appropriate response.

Health workers can help First Nations clients by having conversations about gambling harm. Download the guide to learn:

• how gambling affects First Nations communities.
• how to start a conversation
• strategies for listening and responding to clients
• how to support and refer clients.

Download: Reducing gambling harm in First Nations communities – a guide for health workers

Essential information about screening for gambling harm, how to start a conversation about gambling, and the range of support options that are available.

• Essential information for general practitioners: Gambling harm is a health issue (pdf)
• Essential information for allied health professionals: Gambling harm is a health issue (pdf)
• The change process: understanding what motivates people to make positive life changes.
• Counselling techniques: guidelines for talking about gambling harm.

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.

Gambler’s Help programs

Information for health professionals about the services and programs delivered by Gambler’s Help agencies throughout Victoria.