Gambling Increases Suicide Risk in Young Adults

According to recent research from the University of Glasgow and City, University of London, a rise in gambling troubles is associated with an increased likelihood of suicide risk among young adults.

The study, which was published in the journal The Lancet Public Health, indicates that young adults (aged 16 to 24) who saw an increase in the degree of gambling harm were 2.74 times more likely to attempt suicide than those whose gambling remained the same over the course of a year.

Gambling behavior is dynamic, and the study discovered that independent of a person’s starting place, every increase in the experience of gambling damage was associated with a higher risk of suicidality.

Although there is a concurrently increased suicide risk and gambling damage among those aged 16 to 24 years, the association between gambling and suicidality has received little research and even less has addressed this relationship among young people.

In order to track changes in their gambling and suicide-related behaviors, the responses of 1,941 young adults who were polled twice over the course of a year (first between June and August 2019 and then between July and October 2020) were evaluated.

The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) score, which ranges from 0 (no gambler) to a maximum of 27 points, was used to calculate the harm caused by gambling. An increased probability of suicide attempts was found to be connected with a PGSI score increase of just one point or more over the course of a year.

Young folks are probably more inclined than older ones to be impulsive and engage in sensation-seeking experimentation, as well as other risk-taking behaviors. Yet even though impulsivity, loneliness, poor well-being, and anxiety were found to partially account for the association between suicidality and gambling revealed in the study, these factors do not fully explain it.

The authors of the study contend that their findings show the necessity of rapidly identifying those who might be suffering higher harm from gambling and intervening. To do this, primary healthcare, social services, and other pertinent public sector organizations may need to integrate routine and repeated screening to enable successful identification and suicide prevention programs for young individuals at high risk.

Concerns about the best ways to help those who are considered to be in danger still need to be addressed. While government regulatory organizations mandate that gambling operators do risk evaluations of customer data to pinpoint people who are more likely to experience gambling damage, it is unclear how this is then carried out at a customer service level.

The study suggests that, if authorities uphold this requirement, all industry personnel who engage with customers may be compelled to undergo regular, independent, transparent, and thorough training in suicide prevention and intervention. This might mimic the strategy adopted in reforms to the financial services sector as a required condition of licensing.

Dr. Heather Wardle, the study’s first author, stated that suicide is a prominent cause of death among young people, particularly in young men. Many of the persons we speak with who have suffered serious gambling-related problems mention feeling suicidal. Nonetheless, there is still disagreement over whether the gambling problem is a risk factor for suicidality or whether there are other factors, such as poor well-being, that may better account for this. No, according to our study, which found that any rise in unpleasant gambling-related experiences among young adults can indicate a higher suicide risk.

“For anyone feeling like this, help is available—people can and do recover from gambling harms. But more support is needed. Our study adds to a growing evidence base strengthening the argument for gambling to be recognized as a risk factor in suicide prevention plans. Gambling harms were referenced in Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2022–2025, but much more needs to happen for this to become embedded in national approaches and policies.”

Co-author, Sally McManus, said, “Suicide is complex and many factors come into play. This study, however, clearly shows that interventions that reduce gambling-related harm may also have real potential to reduce levels of suicidality in society. Gambling behavior is dynamic and needs to be monitored for signs of change. For many of the young people interviewed for this study, their harmful gambling behaviors had decreased over time. This shows how recovery and improvement are achievable, especially with the right protections and measures in place. People who are struggling can reach out—day or night—to organizations like the Samaritans.”

Sir Louis Appleby is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manchester and Chair of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group. He said, “This study adds to our understanding of the link between problem gambling and suicide, particularly in young people. We have seen warnings about gambling and tragic personal stories bravely told in public, but inevitably it takes longer to get the high-quality evidence we need for prevention. Now that evidence is coming through. It is timely too—the Government has announced a new national suicide prevention strategy and problem gambling is certain to feature.”

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