Can Child Adolesc Psychiatr Rev. 2004 Feb; 13(1): 3–6.

Public Health Perspective Theory

PMID: 19030146

Sep 25, 2018 However, gambling can become an addiction and its negative impacts affect the health and wellbeing of young people. It is crucial that families, parents and carers are supported and equipped to talk confidently about gambling with their children – Fast Forward is stepping up to help. From a clinical perspective, youth with gambling problems exhibit higher rates of depressive sympto-mology, increased risk of suicide ideation and attempts, higher anxiety (Gupta & Derevensky, 1998), as well as an increased risk of alcohol and substance abuse disorders (Hardoon & Derevensky, 2002; Winters & Anderson, 2000). In addition, there are a multitude of negative behavioural, psychological.

Gambling among adolescents is a growing public health concern in Sweden as in many other countries. Excessive gambling has been found to be associated with a wide range of negative consequences such as financial problems, strained relationships, criminal behaviour, depression, and an elevated risk for suicide. The model includes a temporal dimension, which refers to the development and severity of gambling behavior. From the public health perspective, it is not presumed that costs and benefits result only from problem gambling; instead we are interested in the whole spectrum of gambling behavior.

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Abstract

Introduction

The recent growth of gambling problems among youth around the world is alarming. Researchers, clinicians, educators and the public have only begun to recognize the significance of this risky adolescent behaviour. With the continuous rise in gambling technology and the expansion of the gambling industry, more gambling opportunities exist today than ever before.

Method

The literature on gambling and youth was reviewed.

Results

Given the greater accessibility, availability, and promotion of gambling, more and more youth have become attracted to the perceived excitement, entertainment, and financial freedom associated with gambling. While Internet gambling is a recent phenomenon that remains to be explored, the potential for future problems among youth is high, especially among a generation of young people who have grown up with videogames, computers, and the Internet.

Conclusion

Our current knowledge and understanding of the seriousness of gambling problems, its magnitude, and its impact on the health and well-being of children and youth compels us to respond to these new forms of gambling in a timely and effective manner.

Keywords: gambling, internet, addictive, behaviours, child, adolescent

Résumé

L’accroissement des problèmes reliés au jeu chez les jeunes du monde entier est inquiétant. Les chercheurs, les cliniciens, les éducateurs et le public lui-même commencent à reconnaître le sérieux d’un tel comportement à risque avec le raffinement des techniques de jeu et le développement accéléré de cette industrie, il existe de plus en plus d’occasions de s’adonner au jeu. La literature sur la jeunesse et le jeu a été rééxaminée. Ainsi, à cause de l’augmentation des occasions et de la promotion du jeu, de plus en plus de jeunes sont attirés par l’excitation, l’aspect spectacle et le sentiment de pouvoir s’enrichir, attributs qu’ils accolent au plaisir du jeu. Bien que le jeu sur Internet soit un phénomène encore récent, le potentiel d’un nombre accru de problèmes chez les jeunes est élevé, particulièrement chez la jeune génération qui a grandi avec les jeux vidéo, les ordinateurs et l’Internet. La literature sur la jeunesse et le jeu a été rééxaminée. Nos connaissances actuelles et notre compréhension du sérieux des problèmes de jeu, leur fréquence ainsi que leur impact sur la santé et le bien-être des enfants et des adolescents nous forcent à trouver des réponses concrètes et efficaces à ces nouvelles formes de jeu.

INTRODUCTION

Today’s children and teens in North America are the first generation of youth to grow up in a society where a multiplicity of types of gambling exists, and gambling venues are not only widely available but also heavily advertised and promoted. Gambling, once considered to be associated with sin and vice is now generally perceived as a harmless adult entertainment and has become mainstream in our society. Although in Canada government regulated gambling is illegal for youth under the age of 18, a growing number of young people are gambling for recreation and entertainment (). With increased exposure to, and availability of regulated and unregulated forms of gambling, including the recent emergence of Internet gambling, more youth are succumbing to the temptation and pressure to engage in these activities (). There is a growing body of research suggesting that greater accessibility is related to increased gambling, increased money spent on gambling, and increased rates of problem gambling (Griffiths, 1995). Research in Canada, the U.S., and internationally suggests that approximately 80% of adolescents have participated in some form of gambling during their lifetime (see the review by the National Research Council, 1999 and meta-analysis by ).

Most alarming is evidence indicating that between 4–8% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 have a very serious gambling problem, while another 10–15% are at-risk for developing a gambling problem (Derevensky & Gupta, 2000; ; National Research Council, 1999). Further, while there are some methodological issues involved in the measurement of pathological gambling for youth, there are consistent reports that the prevalence rates of probable pathological gambling in youth (4–8%) are considerably higher than rates of pathological gambling in the general adult population (1–3%) (; National Research Council, 1999).

Pathological gambling can be described as a continuous or periodic loss of control over gambling and is highlighted by irrational thinking and erroneous cognitions, a preoccupation with gambling and with obtaining money to gamble, continuation with gambling despite adverse consequences, and an inability to stop gambling despite having the desire to do so (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Between 1984 and 1999 there was a significant increase in the proportion of youth who reported gambling within the past year as well as those who reported gambling-related problems (). Clearly, adolescents represent a particularly high-risk group and are vulnerable to the development of gambling problems (Derevensky & Gupta, 2000; National Research Council, 1999).

Research has demonstrated that problematic gambling among adolescents has been associated with a number of other mental health outcomes. From a clinical perspective, youth with gambling problems exhibit higher rates of depressive sympto-mology, increased risk of suicide ideation and attempts, higher anxiety (), as well as an increased risk of alcohol and substance abuse disorders (Hardoon & Derevensky, 2002; ). In addition, there are a multitude of negative behavioural, psychological, interpersonal, and academic problems associated with problem gambling. Among youth, problem gambling has been shown to result in increased delinquency and criminal behaviour, poor academic performance, higher rates of school truancy and dropout, and disrupted familial and peer relationships (Hardoon et al., 2002; Wynne, Smith, & Jacobs, 1996). Such negative outcomes have short- and long-term implications for the individual, for their friends and family, as well as for society at large (Derevensky, Gupta, Hardoon, Dickson, & Deguire, 2003). To date, few public awareness strategies and effective social policies have been initiated to address this growing public health concern.

Aided by technological advances in the gaming industry, new forms of gambling are continually appearing. Recent developments in the gambling world include such additions as on-line gambling, technologically advanced slot machines, electronic gambling machines, Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs), interactive television games, and telephone wagering (). Internet gambling in particular allows players to participate in a number of casino-type games in the privacy of their own homes. Internet gambling falls under the grey area of person-to-person wagering under the Canadian Criminal Cod

Youth Gambling A Public Health Perspective