Only days after it became clear that Returned and Services League (RSL) clubs in New South Wales (NSW) had been against proposed gambling reforms, Australian scholars have warned that the attempted suicide rates among veterans suffering from gambling addiction have become disturbingly high.
The Guardian reported that a new study that was headed by Dr Olivia Metcalf and is expected to be published soon found 40% of veterans who are categorised as problem gamblers in Australia have considered the possibility of taking their own lives, while one in five has already made a suicide attempt. The behavioural scientist explained that some research found that the aforementioned figures were particularly high and while researchers did not have very adequate civilian data to make a comparison, the data gathered shows that the attempted suicide rates among veterans were higher than the ones of the general population.
Ms Metcalf shared that such patterns were also found in other trauma-affected populations. However, she claims that such attempted suicide rates were particularly concerning when it comes to veterans, and scientists needed to get a better understanding of the issue.
As Casino Guardian revealed earlier this week, Margot Smith, the CEO of NSW Returned and Services League Clubs Association, has urged local lawmakers to provide a more balanced view of gambling, while she called for the group’s members to help resist the state Government’s policy to reform the local gambling sector to ensure integrity, transparency and safety for players.
Veterans Twice as Likely to Become Hooked on Gambling, Australian Researchers Say
Now, Australian researchers found that local veterans were almost twice as likely to develop problem gambling behaviour than the rest of the general population. Ms Metcalf’s study, which is currently being reviewed and is expected to be officially published in the weeks to come, claims that about 13% of them are starting to display compulsive gambling habits within five years of ending their service.
The gathered data, however, is not conclusive on the effect that the prevalence of so-called pokies, also known as “poker machines”, available at many RSL clubs had on the actual rate of suicide thought process or attempts. The head of research explained that she and her colleagues were not able to answer that question because they had no access to such data and, in her opinion, that was a real concern due to the unique nature of the country’s gambling environment.
Professor Malcolm Battersby, who currently heads Flinders University’s psychiatry, also contributed to the research and criticised the links and associations between RSL clubs and the gambling sector. According to him, it was extremely concerning that the organisations that are supposed to be offering care and service to Australian veterans were actually taking advantage of vulnerable people who appeared to be the ones most likely to generate massive gambling losses and face gambling-related harm.
As explained by Professor Battersby, Australian veterans had been having some issues with gambling for quite some time. He further noted that it seemed there was an association between distress and trauma, depression and arousal, and that seemed to deteriorate people’s gambling habits, eventually leading them to the thought of suicide.
- Author
Daniel Williams
