Global prevalence of help‐seeking for problem gambling: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Background and Aims Multiple studies have examined barriers and facilitators to help‐seeking, but the prevalence of help‐seeking for problem gambling (PG) is not well established. We aimed to estimate the international prevalence of help‐seeking for PG among the general population and among subgroups of people at risk for PG (i.e. low‐risk, moderate‐risk and PG). Methods Systematic search of grey literature (through gambling repositories, gambling research institutes and Google) and peer‐reviewed literature (through ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus) for gambling prevalence studies that reported on help‐seeking for PG. This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analyses. Studies used representative sampling methods to determine the prevalence of gambling participation and data collection 2010 onward. Twenty‐four studies met the inclusion criteria. The main outcome was population prevalence of help‐seeking for PG. Help‐seeking was defined as any intentional action to change gambling behaviours, including professional services (inclusive of in‐person or distance help), non‐professional help (e.g. from family and friends) and self‐help. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explain variability in help‐seeking prevalence estimates. Results Measurement of help‐seeking was inconsistent across included studies and, overall, there was high risk of bias. We estimated a general population help‐seeking prevalence for PG of 0.23% (95% CI, 0.16–0.33). Prevalence estimates were significantly higher in studies assessing lifetime (0.50%; 95% CI, 0.35–0.71) compared with current help‐seeking (0.14%; 95% CI, 0.10–0.20, P < 0.001), but there was no evidence of difference in prevalence estimates by gambling participation, region, type of help‐seeking, or year of data collection. Compared with people with low‐risk gambling (0.27%; 95% CI, 0.07%–1.04%), prevalence estimates were significantly higher in those with moderate‐risk (3.73%; 95% CI, 2.07%–6.63%) and problem gambling (20.63%; 95% CI, 12.89%–31.35%, P < 0.001). Conclusions One in 25 moderate‐risk gamblers and 1 in 5 people with problem gambling have sought help for problems related to their gambling.

Smartphone App Delivery of a Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention for Adult Gamblers (Gambling Habit Hacker): Protocol for a Microrandomized Trial

“…Gambling problems are also highly comorbid with other addictive behaviors such as nicotine and alcohol use and mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and personality disorders [ 9 , 10 ]. Global estimates of help seeking indicate 1 in 25 moderate-risk gamblers and 1 in 5 people with problem gambling have sought help for problems related to their gambling [ 11 ].…”

A Gambling Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention (GamblingLess: In-The-Moment): Protocol for a Microrandomized Trial

“…They also have the potential to reach underserved populations, including those who are unable or unwilling to participate in other interventions [99,101,102]. This is particularly important for gambling populations, given evidence that only a small proportion of people with problem and moderate-risk gambling (1 in 5 and 1 in 25 in Australia, respectively) access specialist face-to-face gambling services [104], despite an established evidence base indicating their efficacy [105][106][107]. These findings imply that face-to-face gambling treatment delivery does not provide sufficient access to evidence-based treatment [108].…”

Clinical differences between men and women in a Swedish treatment-seeking population with gambling disorder

“…Today about 20% of individuals with GD seek treatment for their gambling problems within healthcare services ( 7 ). This is an increase from the last report where 9.9% of patients with GD seek treatment ( 8 , 9 ) and women present a lower chance of being in treatment ( 10 ).…”