UK doctors told to ask patients about gambling as part of standard health check

UK doctors told to ask patients about gambling as part of standard health check

New guidance recommends that GPs ask questions as part of a holistic assessment.

UK.- The UK health guidance body the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued new guidance recommending that general practitioners (GPs) ask their patients about gambling harms. It suggests that doctors should ask patients about gambling “even if they have no obvious risk factors for gambling-related harms” to prevent stigma.

It’s recommended that questions about gambling be posed during general health checks as part of a ‘holistic assessment’ alongside questions about smoking, alcohol and the use of other substances. NICE notes that the “stigma, shame and fear of disclosure can prevent people experiencing gambling-related harms from talking about gambling and from seeking and accessing support and treatment”. In addition, stigma may be a particular issue for certain groups, such as people from marginalised, minority, or under-represented communities.

The guidelines include recommendations on aspects such as problem gambling criteria, models of care, treatment and relapse prevention and support for friends and family. NICE particularly recommends questions about gambling behaviours for patients with mental health issues like depression, thoughts of self-harm or suicide, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), personality disorder, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and in the case of patients facing homelessness or suffering from substance abuse.

Doctors are also advised to ask about gambling behaviours if a patient is prescribed medicines that can affect their impulse control, such as dopamine agonists for Parkinson’s disease or aripiprazole for psychosis. The recommendations are being issued to all NHS GPs and healthcare commissioners, but it is not mandatory for doctors to apply them.

The guidelines are available on the NICE website.

Meanwhile, the industry-backed charity and grant-making body GambleAware has published a new report following research into the risks of harm associated with different types of gambling. Conducted by Bournemouth University, the study found that land-based slots presented more risk than online casino gaming, while loot boxes were also highlighted as risky.

The study looked into the relative risks of gambling harm associated with land-based electronic gaming machines, online casino games, loot boxes and the National Lottery. It found that land-based gaming machines located at bookmakers and casinos were the biggest predictor of future gambling harms to the extent that users were over 10 times more likely than the average person to be experiencing problem gambling. That compares to four times more likely for online casino customers.

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