Support for heavy gamblers through family intervention
23 October 2023
New research at South Australia’s Statewide Gambling Therapy Service (SGTS) is testing an innovative approach to supporting heavy gamblers, that seeks to intervene before a gambler reaches crisis point.
Fewer than 10 per cent of people with a gambling problem seek help, and when they do it is often after they reach crisis point and significant harm has been endured.
The SGTS study, funded by Flinders Foundation, is a family intervention model with strategies developed through recent research that supports people living with a heavy gambler who is resistant to seeking help or in denial about their problem.
The study differs from most gambling support programs, which focus on supporting the gambler and their family when the gambler enters treatment or is trying to quit.
Researchers are calling for participants to take part in the clinical study, that provides up to six sessions with a therapist to guide participants through strategies to help their family member before they reach crisis point.
People living in regional and metropolitan South Australia are encouraged to participate in the study, with sessions delivered either in-person or via telehealth.
To be eligible for the study, participants must be over 18 years old and living with, or in close contact with, a close relative or partner who has a gambling problem and is resistant to seeking help.
Eligible participants will receive an honorarium $50 gift card after their first set of questionnaires is completed and they have attended a first appointment, and a second gift card after completing a second set of questionnaires three months later.
For more information contact the Study Coordinator on 8204 4779 or email Ben.Riley@sa.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to SALHN Flinders Psychological Therapy Service, Dr Ben Riley
Recently released gambling data shows a more than 30 per cent rise in gambling expenditure in some states since pre-COVID levels, despite sharp increases in our cost of living. This novel study takes a different approach to supporting heavy gamblers through early intervention.
We know that most gamblers experiencing gambling harm don’t seek help. There is a lot of stigma and often they deny their problem. The support strategies used in this study have been developed specifically for families in situations where the gambler is resistant to help or in denial of their problem.