Lived experience of help-seeking in the presence of gambling related harms and co-existing mental health conditions
History
Language
eng
Research statement
Despite a growing interest in Lived Experience (LEX) and co-design methodology in gambling harm prevention, to date, no evidence based-frameworks or guidance exists for appropriate engagement strategies of individuals with LEX of gambling harm. The current project therefore adopted a co-design involving engagement with stakeholders and included those with lived experience of gambling harm. The project therefore aimed to (1) develop an evidence-informed framework for engaging individuals with LEX of gambling related harm in co-design activities and (2) examine how co-morbid conditions and gambling interact on the experience of formal treatment. These aims were structured as two phases of the project, whereby phase 1 included development of the framework using literature reviews and collaboration with a reference group of ten individuals with LEX of gambling harm. Phase 2 applied this framework and involved evaluation of the framework, including qualitative interviews of 20 help-seeking individuals with co-existing mental health and gambling problems. Qualitative interviews revealed four themes including; (1) past help seeking, (2) the relationship between gambling and mental health (3) reasons for help-seeking and (4) what has helped the most in recovery from gambling. This project provides both a practical and applied framework contributing to gambling harm prevention initiatives.