Transcript Societal Attitudes to Gambling Problems

Societal Attitudes to Gambling
Problems
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What I am interested in
How does the general public view the
nature of gambling problems?
Do people believe that treatment is
necessary in order to fix gambling
problems?
Do people believe that a problem
gambler needs to stop gambling in
order to fix their problem?
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Methods
Questions were added to the beginning of a
general population survey exploring barriers
to treatment for gambling problems
(N = 8,467).
Non-gamblers were compared to social
gamblers and problem gamblers on these
questions.
Conceptions of gambling problems were
related to beliefs about need for treatment
and abstinence.
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Questions asked
Problem gambling best seen as a form of:




Disease or illness
Wrongdoing
Habit (not disease)
Addiction similar to drug addiction
Response options for each conception ranged
from strongly agree to strongly disagree.
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Questions asked
Do you think it is possible for people who
have gambling problems to fix it on their
own, without getting any treatment?
Do you think it is possible for people who
have gambling problems to reduce their
gambling to that of a social gambler or do
they need to quit all together?
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Results – all respondents
% Strongly agreed that problem
gambling best seen as a form of:




38%
16%
32%
56%
Disease or illness
Wrongdoing
Habit (not disease)
Addiction similar to drug addiction
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Results – all respondents
53% agreed treatment was needed in
order to fix a gambling problem.
71% agreed a person needs to quit
gambling altogether in order to solve a
gambling problem.
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Comparing gamblers and nongamblers
$100 or
$101
CLiP
CLiP
less in lifetime, lifetime last year
lifetime no CLiP
>1
>1
% Disease or
illness
% Wrongdoing
% Habit, not
disease
% Addiction
p
38.4
22.4
36.9
9.6
37.0
12.4
40.2
12.7
.001
35.2
58.6
25.8
52.5
31.6
53.4
33.7
57.4
.001
.001
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Comparing gamblers and nongamblers
$100 or
$101
CLiP
CLiP
less in lifetime, lifetime last year
lifetime no CLiP
>1
>1
p
% Treatment is
needed
55.4
53.2
48.0
45.6
.001
% Abstinence is
necessary
71.8
72.4
71.9
62.5
.001
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Comparing gambler groups
% Disease
% Wrongdoing
% Habit
% Addiction
% Need treatment
% Abstinence
required
CLiP
Possible or
last year At Risk
Probable
>1
Gambler Pathological p
43.0
32.1
39.2
.05
11.3
13.1
21.9
.05
31.7
37.5
39.2
59.6
48.8
62.2
.05
50.7
33.9
37.0
.001
67.2
55.4
45.9
.001
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Predictor
All terms
entered
Disease
Wrongdoing
Habit
Addiction
Need Treatment
EXP()


493.9
***
Abstinence is Required
EXP()


284.9
***
.468
***
.078
1.597
-.256
*
.688
***
0.774
1.081
1.990
* p < .05. ** p < .01.*** p < .001.
.466
***
.325
***
-.138
**
.457
***
1.593
1.384
0.871
1.580
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Assumptions
Societal attitudes reflect how people behave
towards problem gamblers.
Societal attitudes can be altered.
If societal attitudes are changed then
problem gamblers will have more success in
dealing with their problem.
We know how to change societal attitudes.
We know how we want to improve conditions
for problem gamblers.
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