Healthcare and social service workers are being encouraged to ask individuals seeking mental health support about problems with gambling, similar to how they inquire about drug use, smoking and alcohol.
This new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England aims to help identify gambling issues early and provide support sooner.
NICE suggests that GP appointments or health checks are ideal moments to ask these questions, particularly for those who have recently left home or people with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, which the NICE document has highlighted as risk factors.
Gambling can have detrimental impacts on families and relationships, and if…
