(AsiaGameHub) – UK doctors have been directed to inquire about patients’ gambling activities just as they routinely do for smoking and alcohol use. A new report suggests this approach could help prevent suicides among gamblers.
Dr Julian Morris, a London Senior Coroner, produced the report following the death of Lee Adams. Adams took his own life after a prolonged gambling episode in 2020. Morris had earlier determined that Adams’ gambling disorder was a contributing cause of death, combined with a prescription drug overdose.
To avoid future tragedies, Morris stated, “General practitioners should be prompted to question people about their gambling patterns similarly to how they inquire about smoking and alcohol use.”
Achievement for Adams Family
On the day he died, Adams made 600 consecutive bets on an online slots site soon after getting his monthly pay, his family reported.
His relatives welcomed Morris’s finding that gambling was a decisive element in his death. His cousin, Natalie Ashbolt, said, “We must acknowledge that getting gambling disorder recorded as a causal factor was an achievement – our family has always known it was.”
She described the difficulty of having the inquest examine gambling as a cause of death.
“Without private funding, support, and a coroner willing to even consider investigating gambling… reaching the outcome we did won’t be possible for all the families who deserve it,” Ashbolt added.
Doctors Need More Training
Recently, another UK inquest found that Arthur Soames died from “mental health distress worsened by gambling”.
The law firm Leigh Day represented both the Soames and Adams families. Solicitor Dan Webster observed that even when Soames sought help from his GP for mental health issues, “no gambling screening questions were posed at any point.”
Morris advocates for change, and Soames’ family also feels greater GP awareness might have averted his death. They highlighted that although the 19-year-old confessed to his doctor about spending excessive time and money gambling, no steps were taken to revise his risk assessment or care plan.
“Arthur’s family is convinced it is crucial for healthcare workers to get suitable training and direction so that indicators of gambling harm can be spotted and addressed,” Webster stated.
Does Screening Make a Difference?
Research examining whether to screen for gambling-related harm risk concluded that it is practical for doctors to perform such screenings. Nevertheless, its efficacy and cost-effectiveness require further assessment.
Additional studies indicate that screening and short interventions concerning the risks of smoking, drinking, and gambling can have modest impacts on reducing dangerous behaviors.
For some gamblers, reaching out for assistance can be the most significant hurdle. This week, a person recovering from gambling addiction shared that he kept his issue secret for fear of judgment.
“Shame held me back. I know the advice is not to fear seeking help, but I believe it’s preferable to keep it private,” said the anonymous individual. “I don’t want the ‘gambling addict’ label. It seems like a personal failure, a sign of weakness.”
Research consistently shows individuals tend to underreport their own smoking, drinking, and gambling. An Australian study revealed that a mere 4% of gamblers correctly reported their net wins or losses.
Alongside encouraging doctors to ask about gambling, the coroner also advised GPs to caution patients about prescription drug risks, which contributed to Adams’ death.
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