How Gambling Affects Mental Health
Gambling involves betting something of value on a random event with the hope of winning another item of value. It is sometimes compared to insurance because both involve risk and a prize. However, there are important differences between gambling and insurance. Insurance policies are purchased by people who have an insurable interest, and actuarial methods are used to calculate appropriate premiums. In contrast, people who gamble are motivated by social interactions, financial rewards, or the dream of winning money.
Many people who have a gambling problem also have mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. These problems can contribute to a person’s gambling behavior, and can result in harmful outcomes for themselves and others. The good news is that counseling and support groups can help people stop gambling behaviors, and learn to manage their moods in healthier ways.
Some people use gambling as a way to relax and have fun with friends, or to relieve boredom. But there are other things you can do to relax and have fun – such as exercising, spending time with friends who don’t gamble, taking up new hobbies, or practicing relaxation techniques.
Many of the negative impacts of gambling are observed at the personal, interpersonal, and community/society levels. The most precise way to measure these effects is through longitudinal research. This type of study can identify factors that moderate and exacerbate gambling participation, and allow researchers to infer causality. However, longitudinal studies have been limited by the difficulty of collecting and maintaining a large-scale data pool over several years, problems with sample attrition, and aging effects.
