In its five-year Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, the UK government has identified harmful gambling as one six risk factors that are linked to suicide.
The list of reasons for suicide includes gambling, physical illness, financial difficulties, alcohol and drug abuse, social isolation, and domestic violence. Ministers have said that they will address these areas by providing early interventions and tailored support from 2023 to 2028.
The Department of Health and Social Care has published the Suicide Prevention Strategy , a cross-government . The aim is to reduce suicide rates over the next five-year period, with the first reductions occurring within the first half of this time frame or earlier. Priorities include improving support for those who have committed suicide and for those bereaved.
The last suicide prevention plan was published over a decade before. In the new plan, ministers have outlined more than 100 measures to reduce suicides across England. In England and Wales in 2021, there will be 5,583 male suicides. The suicide rate in England and Wales is “not significantly higher than 2012 but the rate does not fall”.
Gambling is a major factor
The report stated that “increasing data shows a link between suicide and harmful gambling, even among younger people”.
The statement continued: “Although the reasons for suicide are complex, we know that gambling is a major factor. Without it, suicides may not have happened.” It is therefore important to take action to combat the harmful effects of gambling, such as suicide, and to reach out to those at risk.
The document details a number of actions relating to harmful gambling. The document outlines a series of actions related to harmful gambling. In April 2023 the government published its whitepaper on gambling. It included a commitment to consult about potential changes that could be made to make products safer by design to reduce harm.
Together, the Gambling Commission and the Culture and Health Departments are strengthening informational messages. They include information on the risks of gambling. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will consult in 2023 on the design and scope for a statutory levied paid by gambling operators for research, education and the treatment of gambling harms, leading to additional opportunities for action.
NICE is developing clinical guidelines for the detection, assessment and treatment of harmful gambling. These guidelines will be published in the spring of 2024. The Royal College of Psychiatrists is developing a resource for continuous professional development to help professionals better understand harmful gambling.
New and emerging concerns
Maria Caulfield said in the document’s preface: “We have developed this strategy to build on progress made over the past 11 years while identifying and responding new and emerging concerns.
Internet has many benefits but also poses safety concerns for children, teenagers and adults. New evidence shows that factors like harmful gambling, domestic abuse and suicide are linked.
The mental health call for evidence, launched in 2022, informed the strategy. The strategy was designed to identify groups at risk of suicide, as well as the steps to be taken.
Will Prochaska is the strategy director for Gambling with Lives. He said, “The suicide prevention plan of the government has acknowledged that gambling kills.
The government’s reforms of gambling regulations should be seen as suicide prevention measures and therefore, give the Department of Health and Social Care a more leadership role.
