Reasons for seeking help for a gambling problem: the experiences of gamblers who have sought specialist assistance and the perceptions of those who have not. 2009

Justin Pulford, and Maria Bellringer, and Max Abbott, and Dave Clarke, and David Hodgins, and Jeremy Williams
Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Gambling and Addictions Research Centre, National Institute for Public Health and Mental Health Research, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand. justin.pulford@aut.ac.nz

This paper presents reasons for help-seeking data as reported by users of a national gambling helpline (help-seekers, HS, n = 125) as well as data pertaining to perceived reasons for seeking help as reported by gamblers recruited from the general population (non-help-seekers, NHS, n = 104). All data were collected via a structured, multi-modal survey. Participants in both groups considered help-seeking to be motivated by multiple factors (mean of 6.8 and 10.6 responses, respectively). Responses indicative of financial concern were most frequently reported by both HS and NHS participants (82 & 90%, respectively). Over a third of HS participants (35%) also identified financial concern as their primary reason for seeking help and 50% of NHS participants perceived financial concern to be the primary motivator for seeking help in a problem gambling context. Common types of secondary influence (other than financial concern) included psychological distress (HS & NHS participants), problem prevention (HS participants), rational thought (HS participants), physical health issues (HS participants), and relationship issues (NHS participants). The implications for promoting greater or earlier help-seeking activity amongst problem gamblers are discussed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007389 Internal-External Control Personality construct referring to an individual's perception of the locus of events as determined internally by his or her own behavior versus fate, luck, or external forces. (ERIC Thesaurus, 1996). Locus of Control,External-Internal Control,Sense of Control,Control Locus,Control, External-Internal,Controls, External-Internal,Controls, Internal-External,Internal-External Controls
D007722 Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Knowledge, attitudes, and associated behaviors which pertain to health-related topics such as PATHOLOGIC PROCESSES or diseases, their prevention, and treatment. This term refers to non-health workers and health workers (HEALTH PERSONNEL). Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009520 New Zealand A group of islands in the southwest Pacific. Its capital is Wellington. It was discovered by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642 and circumnavigated by Cook in 1769. Colonized in 1840 by the New Zealand Company, it became a British crown colony in 1840 until 1907 when colonial status was terminated. New Zealand is a partly anglicized form of the original Dutch name Nieuw Zeeland, new sea land, possibly with reference to the Dutch province of Zeeland. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p842 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p378)
D010342 Patient Acceptance of Health Care Patients' willingness to receive health care. Acceptability of Health Care,Health Care Seeking Behavior,Acceptability of Healthcare,Acceptors of Health Care,Health Care Utilization,Nonacceptors of Health Care,Patient Acceptance of Healthcare,Care Acceptor, Health,Care Acceptors, Health,Care Nonacceptor, Health,Care Nonacceptors, Health,Health Care Acceptability,Health Care Acceptor,Health Care Acceptors,Health Care Nonacceptor,Health Care Nonacceptors,Healthcare Acceptabilities,Healthcare Acceptability,Healthcare Patient Acceptance,Healthcare Patient Acceptances,Utilization, Health Care
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D005260 Female Females
D005715 Gambling An activity distinguished primarily by an element of risk in trying to obtain a desired goal, e.g., playing a game of chance for money. Pathological Gambling,Gambling, Pathologic,Gambling, Pathological,Gamblings,Gamblings, Pathological,Pathological Gamblings
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

Related Publications

Justin Pulford, and Maria Bellringer, and Max Abbott, and Dave Clarke, and David Hodgins, and Jeremy Williams
December 2021, Journal of gambling studies,
Justin Pulford, and Maria Bellringer, and Max Abbott, and Dave Clarke, and David Hodgins, and Jeremy Williams
June 2012, Journal of gambling studies,
Justin Pulford, and Maria Bellringer, and Max Abbott, and Dave Clarke, and David Hodgins, and Jeremy Williams
June 1986, The Journal of genetic psychology,
Justin Pulford, and Maria Bellringer, and Max Abbott, and Dave Clarke, and David Hodgins, and Jeremy Williams
August 1966, The American journal of nursing,
Justin Pulford, and Maria Bellringer, and Max Abbott, and Dave Clarke, and David Hodgins, and Jeremy Williams
September 1989, The West Virginia medical journal,
Justin Pulford, and Maria Bellringer, and Max Abbott, and Dave Clarke, and David Hodgins, and Jeremy Williams
January 2005, Journal of gambling studies,
Justin Pulford, and Maria Bellringer, and Max Abbott, and Dave Clarke, and David Hodgins, and Jeremy Williams
October 1997, The New Zealand medical journal,
Justin Pulford, and Maria Bellringer, and Max Abbott, and Dave Clarke, and David Hodgins, and Jeremy Williams
January 2018, Journal of American college health : J of ACH,
Justin Pulford, and Maria Bellringer, and Max Abbott, and Dave Clarke, and David Hodgins, and Jeremy Williams
January 2007, Work (Reading, Mass.),
Justin Pulford, and Maria Bellringer, and Max Abbott, and Dave Clarke, and David Hodgins, and Jeremy Williams
June 2022, Journal of gambling studies,
Copied contents to your clipboard!