In its newly released five-year Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, the UK government has identified problematic gambling as one of six frequent risk factors associated to suicide.
Gambling joins physical disease, financial problems, alcohol and drug abuse, social isolation, and domestic violence on the list of factors leading to suicide in this method. Between 2023 and 2028, the government plans to address these issues through early intervention and personalized support.
The cross-government Suicide Prevention Strategy, published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), intends to lower the suicide rate in England during the next five years. The government anticipates that first reductions will occur within half of this time range, if not sooner. The strategy also prioritizes better support for people who have self-harmed and better aid for those who have lost loved ones to suicide.
The previous suicide prevention strategy was released nearly a decade ago, thus this new approach is a big upgrade. In England and Wales in 2021, there were 5,583 suicides, with almost three-quarters involving men. While the current suicide rate is not much greater than it was in 2012, it is also not decreasing.
In the report, the government acknowledges the “increasing evidence of the relationship between harmful gambling and suicide, including in younger people.” It emphasizes that while the causes of suicide can be multifaceted, gambling can be a dominant factor contributing to it.
To address the harms of gambling, including suicide, the strategy outlines several actions related to harmful gambling. These actions include expediting the opening of 15 specialist gambling treatment clinics by the end of September 2023, six months ahead of schedule. Additionally, the government’s white paper on gambling, published in April 2023, includes a commitment to consult on potential changes to make gambling products “safer by design” to reduce harm.
Collaboration is happening between the cultural and health departments, as well as the gaming Commission, to improve informational messages, including content on the hazards connected with gaming. The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) will consult in 2023 on the form and scope of a mandatory tax paid by gambling operators to finance gambling harm research, education, and treatment.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is working on clinical recommendations to help with the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of problematic gambling, which are scheduled to be released in spring 2024. Furthermore, the Royal College of Psychiatrists will provide a resource for continuing professional development to help doctors recognize dangerous gambling.
Maria Caulfield, Minister for Mental Health and Women’s Health, emphasized the importance of the strategy in addressing both established and emerging concerns. She mentioned the internet’s positive aspects but also highlighted safety issues for children, young people, and adults. Emerging evidence continues to establish links between factors like harmful gambling and domestic abuse with suicide.
Will Prochaska, Strategy Director of Gambling with Lives, welcomed the government’s recognition of gambling’s role in suicide prevention. He urged that the government’s planned gambling regulation reforms should be viewed as suicide prevention measures and that the Department of Health and Social Care should take a greater leadership role in this regard.
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