Campaigns

Gambling. What’s the harm?

Gambler’s Help Southern have partnered with The Alfred Mental Health and Gambling Harm Service Victoria to develop the campaign – Gambling. What’s the Harm?

The campaign aims to draw attention to the link between gambling harm and mental health concerns to ensure that gambling harm doesn’t go unidentified and untreated.

Why the focus on mental health?

We know gambling harm and mental health concerns often co-occur and for many people the shame and stigma associated with gambling can stop them from seeking support.  We also know people may be more likely to seek professional help for other issues such as anxiety, depression, family violence or substance use than for their gambling problems.

The campaign aims to help clinicians to:

• Understand the prevalence of harm and co-morbidities with mental health concerns;
• Identify the signs a patient/client may be experiencing harm from gambling, ether their own or someone elses;
• Start the conversation with patients/clients by asking a question about gambling harm; and
• Refer patients/clients to Gambler’s Help Southern or reach out for more information and support.

How to raise awareness

We’ve developed a stakeholder toolkit to help orgainsation’s raise awareness amongst staff and volunteers.

In this kit you’ll find.

• A series of four infographics.
• Newsletter content outlining the issue and relevance for staff working in mental health.
• Referral information for patients/clients

Stakeholder tool kit

Infographics

1. What’s the harm?
2. Gambling and Mental health
3. Gambling and Stigma
4. It’s worth asking the question.

Newsletter content

For more information about the campaign contact the Community Engagement team, l.delahey@connecthealth.org.au