The largest gambling charity organisation in the UK – GambleAware – has recently published a new study regarding gambling harm and stigmatising language. According to data included in the study, discrimination against players who find it hard to control their gambling discourages them from looking for professional help.
The results of the study called “Building Knowledge of Stigma Related to Gambling and Gambling Harms in Great Britain” were published a few days ago, after the research process was completed by Dr Anne Stangl, Mariana Siapka, and Triantafyllos Pliakas, who analysed the results of 54 previously held studies and 9 review papers provided by a total of 19 countries.
The results of the study showed the usage of certain terms can create a stigma that disheartens people from looking for professional help to deal with their problems. The study cited by GambleAware claims that terms such as “problem gambler” and “gambling addict” are inappropriate and could cause misunderstanding because they imply that the person is the problem, rather than pointing out that the person is dealing with a problem.
That is the reason why the British largest charity organisation recommends the use of terms such as “person who struggles with gambling” and “person with a gambling disorder”. Furthermore, the experts, who carried out the study, suggested that what they called “person-first” language can help society better understand that gambling addiction is a mental disorder and not an identity. According to the researchers, this could help relieve the stigma associated with gambling disorders and encourage people suffering from such disorders to seek professional help.
Social Stigma Linked to Gambling Addiction Can Seriously Affect People, Study Claims
As shared by GambleAware experts, the social stigma associated with problem gambling affects people just like physical and mental diseases do. Researchers have noted that people suffering from various physical and mental diseases are often discouraged from seeking professional help because of the social stigma associated with their problems, and gambling addicts are no different because they are often unwilling to accept and actually admit they have a problem controlling their compulsive gambling habits.
That is why GambleAware called for local healthcare workers to get better acquainted with gambling-related harm and other topics that would give them a better understanding of gambling disorders. According to charity organisation experts, people who work in the healthcare sector should know how to help gamblers, but in the first place, they should learn how to avoid stigmatising them. They have warned that otherwise, gambling-related stigma could interfere with problem gamblers’ treatment and prevent them from actually overcoming their issues.
The largest gambling charity organisation in the UK confirmed that gambling is a popular pastime for many people in the UK and this is exactly why it is extremely important to prioritise the prevention of gambling-related harm and the social stigma associated with it. GambleAware has explained that stigma prevention can have a positive effect on the overall treatment of individuals suffering from gambling disorders and pledged to become a pioneer in stigma reduction.
The charity unveiled that it would focus on popularising the usage of “person-first” language and replacing harmful terminology. While doing that, its experts are set to carefully evaluate whether the improved practices have a significantly beneficial effect and will seek additional solutions that would encourage people affected by gambling-related harm to seek help.
- Author
Daniel Williams
