Help-seeking behaviour of problem gamblers: a narrative review

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 259-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna K. Loy ◽  
Bettina Grüne ◽  
Barbara Braun ◽  
Eva Samuelsson ◽  
Ludwig Kraus
Keyword(s):  
Help Seeking ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Treatment Attendance ◽  
Treatment Providers ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Language Studies ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Seeking Help ◽  
Treatment Utilisation

Abstract. Background: There is evidence for low rates of help-seeking among problem gamblers. Identifying reasons for and barriers to seeking help is essential for improving help supply and gamblers’ treatment utilisation. The present study examines treatment utilisation of problem or pathological gamblers and reviews the evidence related to motives for and barriers to seeking help. Methods: The databases Medline, PsycInfo, and PubMed were searched for English-, Swedish- and German-language studies published between 2000 and 2017. Furthermore relevant references of included studies were analysed. Results: After exclusion of non-relevant publications 34 journal articles and seven reports covering the prevalence of help-seeking among gamblers or self-reported reasons for/barriers to help-seeking were maintained. The proportion of problem gamblers seeking help was less than 10 % in most studies. Problem severity was found positively associated with treatment attendance. Financial issues, negative emotions and crises were identified as main motives for seeking treatment. Main barriers to seeking treatment were shame, problem denial and lack of treatment availability. The results were similar across the examined studies. Conclusion: Low rates of treatment utilisation by problem gamblers strongly indicate that treatment providers and the society should strive to eliminate structural barriers that hinder gamblers to seek help. To better match problem gamblers´ needs, low-threshold early intervention, increasing knowledge of treatment options and efforts to reduce stigmatisation are important strategies to enhance access to help offers.

scholarly journals P014 Shift work disorder and the prevalence of help seeking behaviours for sleep concerns in Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A26-A26
Author(s):  
B Brown ◽  
M Crowther ◽  
S Appleton ◽  
Y Melaku ◽  
R Adams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shift Work ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Caffeine Consumption ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
Standard Work ◽  
Shift Work Disorder ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Seeking Help

Abstract Introduction Shift work disorder is a circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder, defined by symptoms of insomnia and excessive levels of sleepiness resulting from work that occurs during non-standard hours. Sleep problems are common in shift workers, yet our understanding of help-seeking behaviours for sleep in shift workers is limited. Methods As a part of a national sleep health survey, data were collected on the help-seeking behaviours for sleep problems in an online sample of Australian individuals on non-standard work schedules (n=448). Of the sample of non-standard workers, 10.5% (n=41) met the criteria for probable shift work disorder (pSWD). Results Non-standard workers with pSWD did not seek help for sleep problems at higher rates than workers without SWD (p = .979). General practitioners were the most reported healthcare professional sought out for sleep problems of individuals with pSWD. Self-management was common in workers with pSWD, with a high self-reported prevalence of alcohol use (31.7%) as a sleep management strategy, and caffeine consumption (76.9%) as a sleepiness management strategy. The majority of individuals with pSWD reported the mentality of ‘accept it and keep going’ as a sleepiness management strategy, highlighting a potential barrier to help-seeking behaviour in workers with pSWD. Discussion These findings provide novel insight into the help-seeking behaviours of individuals with pSWD. There is a need for further research to understand why individuals at risk for shift work disorder are not actively seeking help, and to develop health promotion and intervention strategies to improve engagement with healthcare professionals.

Change and continuity in a help-seeking problem gambling population: A five-year record*

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alun C. Jackson ◽  
Shane A. Thomas ◽  
Tangerine A. Holt ◽  
Neil Thomason
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Major Element ◽  
Client Characteristics ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Counselling Services ◽  
Minimum Data ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Seeking Help

This paper provides an overview of some trends among problem gamblers seeking help through the BreakEven/Gambler's Help problem gambling counselling services in Victoria, Australia, between July 1995 and June 2000. Data presented are drawn from details collected on clients at registration, assessment, and all other client contacts to form a Problem Gambling Services minimum data set (MDS). Analysis of the MDS shows a number of noteworthy trends towards continuity or change. A major element of continuity is the ability of the service to attract women, who constitute around 50% of the clients for the period. Major changes include the increasing trend towards presentation of clients at an earlier stage in their "career" as problem gamblers. Also identified is persistence or change in client characteristics, such as gender differences in gambling activity and problem type and level. In addition, a range of other factors are explored, such as level of debt and its associated characteristics, the characteristics of people committing crimes to finance their gambling, and the differences between people presenting for counselling and problem gamblers in the community.

scholarly journals Changes in stigma and help-seeking in relation to postpartum depression: non-clinical parenting intervention sample

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Einar B. Thorsteinsson ◽  
Natasha M. Loi ◽  
Kathryn Farr
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Postpartum Depression ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Parenting Intervention ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Video Documentary ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Seeking Help

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent mental illness affecting women, and less commonly, men in the weeks and months after giving birth. Despite the high incidence of PPD in Australia, rates for help-seeking remain low, with stigma and discrimination frequently cited as the most common deterrents to seeking help from a professional source. The present study sought to investigate PPD stigma in a sample of parents and to examine the effects of an intervention on stigma and help-seeking behaviour. A total of 212 parents aged 18–71 years (M = 36.88, 194 females) completed measures of personal and perceived PPD stigma and attitudes towards seeking mental health services and were randomly assigned to one of four groups: an intervention group (video documentary or factsheet related to PPD) or a control group (video documentary or factsheet not related to PPD). Results showed that there were no effects for type of intervention on either personal or perceived PPD stigma scores. No effect was found for help-seeking propensity. Males had higher personal PPD stigma than females and older age was associated with lower personal PPD stigma. Familiarity with PPD was associated with perceived PPD stigma in others but not personal PPD stigma. More work needs to be conducted to develop interventions to reduce PPD stigma in the community.

scholarly journals Experience of Intimate Partner Violence and Help-Seeking Behaviour among Women in Uganda

Psych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 182-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bishwajit Ghose ◽  
Sanni Yaya
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Alcohol Drinking ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Demographic And Health Survey ◽  
Healthcare Use ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Seeking Help

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is recognised as a fundamental violation of women’s human rights and a widespread phenomenon in Africa. Women’s low socioeconomic empowerment, cultural acceptability, and lack of social support exacerbate the health and psychosocial outcomes of IPV among African women. To date, there is no systematic research on IPV and its association with healthcare use among adult women in Uganda. Therefore, we conducted the present study on IPV among Ugandan women of childbearing age (15–49 years). Cross-sectional data on 7536 women were collected from the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS—Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2016). The objectives were to assess the predictors of IPV as well as help-seeking behaviour for victims of IPV. IPV was assessed by women’s experience of physical, emotional and sexual violence and healthcare use was assessed by self-reported medical visits during the last 12 months. Logistic regression methods were used to analyse the data. According to descriptive findings, which showed that more than half of the women reported experiencing any IPV (55.3%, 95%CI = 53.6, 57.0), emotional IPV (41.2%, 95%CI = 39.6, 42.8) was the most prevalent of all three categories, followed by physical (39.3%, 95%CI = 37.7, 40.9) and sexual IPV (22.0%, 95%CI = 20.7, 23.3). In the multivariate analysis, higher age, rural residence, religious background (non-Christian), ethnicity (Banyankore and Itseo), secondary/higher education and husband’s alcohol drinking habit were positively associated with women’s experience of IPV. Husband’s alcohol drinking was found to be a significant barrier to seeking help among those who experienced IPV. In conclusion, our findings suggest a noticeably high prevalence of IPV among Ugandan women. There are important sociodemographic and cultural patterns in the occurrence of IPV that need to be taken into account when designing intervention policies. Special attention should be given to women living with husbands/partners who drink alcohol, as this might increase their odds of experiencing IPV, as well as reduce the likelihood of seeking help.

scholarly journals Predictors of professional help-seeking for emotional problems in Afghan and Iraqi refugees in Australia: findings from the Building a New Life in Australia Database

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shameran Slewa-Younan ◽  
Pilar Rioseco ◽  
Maria Gabriela Uribe Guajardo ◽  
Jonathan Mond
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Emotional Problems ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Migration Trauma ◽  
General Psychological Distress ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Seeking Help

Abstract Background Refugees are particularly vulnerable to poor mental health outcomes due to exposure to pre migration trauma and post migration stressors. Research has demonstrated evidence to suggest that the professional help-seeking among refugee groups is low or problematic. This study seeks to examine help-seeking for emotional problems in two large samples of Iraqi and Afghan refugees in Australia. Methods This study uses data from two waves of the Building a New Life in Australia, the longitudinal study of Humanitarian migrants. The data was collected face-to-face between 2013 and 2016, among humanitarian migrants. All participants held a permanent protection visa and had arrived in Australia or been granted their visa between period of May to December 2013. The study sample included 1288 participants born in Iraq and Afghanistan (aged 15 and over). In the Wave 3 interview (2015–2016) participants reported on professional help received to deal with emotional problems. Results Approximately 36 and 37% of the Iraqi and Afghan groups respectively, reported seeking help for emotional problems. Within the Iraqi group, associations between mental health status, namely general psychological distress and PTSD and help-seeking were found but this was not present in the Afghan group, where age seemed to play a role in help-seeking. Frequency of help received was low with approximately 47% of the Iraqi and 57% of the Afghan groups reporting having received help 5 times or less in the last 12 months. Conclusions Findings from this study provide clear directions on areas where culturally tailored mental health promotion programs should target in these two refugee communities. Further, the differences in help-seeking behaviour of these communities should be noted by both clinicians and policy makers as efforts to provide culturally responsive mental health services.

scholarly journals Barriers to Mental Health Help-Seeking Amongst Refugee Men

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (15) ◽  
pp. 2634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulisha Byrow ◽  
Rosanna Pajak ◽  
Tadgh McMahon ◽  
Amitabh Rajouria ◽  
Angela Nickerson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Psychological Problems ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Seeking Help ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers ◽  
Ptsd Severity

Rates of help-seeking for mental health problems are low amongst refugee communities, despite the high prevalence of PTSD reported amongst these individuals. Research suggests that the key barriers to seeking help for psychological problems include structural barriers (e.g., unstable housing), cultural barriers (e.g., mental health stigma), and barriers specific to refugees and asylum seekers (e.g., visa status). This study examined the effect of structural, cultural and refugee specific barriers on the relationship between PTSD symptom severity and intentions to seek help from professional, social, and community sources. Data was collected from 103 male refugees and asylum seekers with an Arabic-, Farsi-, or Tamil-speaking background. Participants completed measures indexing demographics, trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, mental health stigma, and help-seeking intentions. Path analyses indicated that PTSD severity was associated with lower help-seeking intentions indirectly via mental health stigma (self-stigma for seeking help and self-stigma for PTSD) and visa security. PTSD severity was also associated with greater help-seeking intentions from community members indirectly via structural barriers. These findings are important to consider when identifying key barriers to mental health help-seeking and developing interventions designed to increase help-seeking for psychological problems, within this group.

scholarly journals Mental health among clinicians: what do we know and what can we do?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mittal Patel ◽  
Steven Swift ◽  
Alex Digesu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Seeking Help ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
Medical Teams ◽  
Changing Attitudes

AbstractMental health and mental health disorders among clinicians remain a taboo, despite increasing evidence showing the direct impact on medical teams and patient care. This editorial is aimed at increasing awareness of mental issues amongst healthcare professionals, identifying perceived barriers to seeking help, and suggesting ways in which to seek help. Mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, are prevalent from medical school, leading to increased burnout and suicide risks at later stages of a clinician’s career. There is often a reluctance to seek help, particularly amongst the surgical specialties, caused by self-criticism, lack of convenient access and the potential negative impact on medical licensure. This editorial has been written in loving memory of our colleague, friend and board member Dr. Nikolaus Veit-Rubin, who sadly passed away at the beginning of the year. It is written in the hope of highlighting the importance of maintaining mental wellbeing amongst the medical team, supporting help-seeking behaviour and changing attitudes toward mental health disorders amongst clinicians.

https://threequayspublishing.com/product/exploring-the-use-of-safety-strategies-by-victims-of-interpersonal-violence-a-systematic-review/

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-54
Author(s):  
Thomas Nally ◽  
◽  
Jane L. Ireland ◽  
Philip Birch ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Seeking Safety ◽  
Multiple Strategies ◽  
Safety Strategies ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Seeking Help ◽  
And Coping

This systematic review analysed 61 papers, from an initial search result of 3,540 papers, to explore how victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and interpersonal violence manage their victimisation. The review yielded five themes, centred on evidence for safety strategies adopted by those affected by IPV or interpersonal violence. These comprised; Victims seek help following interpersonal violence; Victims of interpersonal violence experience barriers to seeking help; Victims use multiple strategies to manage experiences of abuse; Victims of interpersonal violence cope in multiple ways; The help-seeking behaviours of victims are contextual. The findings indicated that victims of IPV and interpersonal violence utilise a range of strategies, including help-seeking, safety enhancing strategies and coping strategies, in response to their victimisation. It also indicated that there are significant barriers preventing help-seeking and victimisation reporting. The findings are discussed in relation to the help seeking behaviour of victims and how this may be impacted by barriers at different stages of the help-seeking process.

Reaching out and seeking help from frontline professionals: experiences of men perpetrating partner violence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathilde Sengoelge ◽  
Alvaro Ponce ◽  
Elisabeth Perry ◽  
Alessandra Pauncz ◽  
Heinrich Geldschlager
Keyword(s):  
Partner Violence ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Violent Behaviour ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Seeking Help ◽  
Practice Skills

Background: Research on help-seeking behaviour in partner violence has mainly focused on victims. This article reports on a multi-country qualitative study exploring the views and experiences of men perpetrating partner violence and their contact with frontline professionals. The study was part of a wider programme of training for professionals to enable disclosure of domestic violence by perpetrators (project ENGAGE).Methods: Eleven semi]structured interviews and one focus group discussion with seven men were conducted and thematic analysis was used to analyse their responses. Emphasis was on understanding how professionalsf responses prevented or facilitated disclosure and seeking support and/or professional help.Results: The men revealed the difficulties they face in the process of disclosure and that help-seeking from non-specialised professionals had a negative emotional impact for most men. Four themes emerged: barriers to help-seeking for men; helpful responses from professionals; unhelpful responses to avoid; and recommendations for professionals to improve their interactions with men.Conclusion: This study has implications for the training of frontline professionals and underlines the need for changes in services to ensure that all men consistently receive an appropriate response and are directed to perpetrator programmes or specialised services.<br />Key messages<br /><ul><li>Men who sought help from frontline professionals for their violent behaviour towards their partners found it helpful when frontline professionals in a respectful and non-judgemental manner assisted men to find words to disclose their behaviour.</li><br /><li>They also needed support in identifying their responsibility for the violence and to provide a sense of hope that change is possible.</li><br /><li>Frontline professionals require training to gain and practice skills in communicating with men about their violent behaviour and support them in the referral process to specialised services.</li></ul>

scholarly journals Systemic Factors Explain Differences in Low and High Frequency Shelter Use for Victims of Interpersonal Violence

1969 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 180-201
Author(s):  
Nicole Williams ◽  
Katrina J. Milaney ◽  
Daniel Dutton ◽  
Wilfreda E. Thurston
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Single Frequency ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Systemic Factors

Intimate partner violence is detrimental to women and children’s health and social outcomes. In order to identify the complex factors that shape help-seeking behaviour and what places women at highest risk of recurrence of violence and shelter use, it is critical to examine how individual and systemic factors influence shelter use. The Healing Journey Project was a longitudinal study conducted across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba to identify the experiences of women who were victims of intimate partner violence. A total of 665 women who had previously experienced IPV were interviewed biannually over a four-year period. Descriptive statistics informed probit regressions that then identified several factors that differentiate single frequency shelter users from high frequency users. The results emphasize the importance of using intersectionality theory to recognize the interplay of multiple factors to showcase the complexity of IPV and how it affects shelter use. The results also emphasize how colonialism’s lasting effects are pervasive, alongside the impacts of poverty, intergenerational abuse and structural barriers to housing and childcare. Implications require changes to policy and government funding to enhance access to gender and culturally safe housing with trauma-informed supports to both intervene and potentially prevent multiple experiences of violence.

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