Gambling has gradually become a focus of public health and policy interest due to high-risk gambling behaviours in the UK. Different behaviours in gambling may harm the individual leading to social harm with detrimental effects on family and recreational activities; this is perceived as ‘problem gambling’ in research. Over 2 million of the UK’s population are identified as problem gamblers or at risk of becoming addicted. Previous research has found that 1 in 20 patients reported some degree of Gambling Disorder (GD) in routine general practice. The problems caused by Gambling-Related Harm (GRH) that may require General Practitioner (GP) services may include anxiety disorders, psychosomatic illnesses and high rates of suicide ideation. 

The research aimed to investigate gamblers who had sought support from their GPs about their gambling behaviour before accessing support from an organisation that supports gamblers called GamCare. This study focused on how gamblers understand and perceive information from their GPs about being affected by GRH. This was an interview-based study that used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), to analyse and understand the experiences of 10 purposefully sampled participants. Five overarching themes emerged these were (i) accessing the GP, (ii) GP support & treatment, (iii) perception of health, (iv) quality of GP consultations and (v) psychosocial and emotional impact of gambling. 

Results suggest that further training is required for GPs to understand GRH experienced by problem gamblers appropriately when presenting in primary care. Additionally, there needs to be training and education for GPs around primary care practices with problem gambling to identify and understand effective treatment models. Along with increasing awareness and building on screening tools. Future research should focus on robust treatment pathways for problematic gamblers and further training and education around GPs in problem gambling to manage those seeking gambling support.

Shaila Hussain is an experienced lecturer in health and psychology. She has completed her MPH in Public Health from King’s College, London and an MSc in Psychology from Northumbria University, Newcastle. She is an active researcher with several publications in the domains of public health and psychology. She has recently co-authored a book chapter on behavioral addiction. Her areas of interest are addiction, cultural differences and art-based therapy.