Prevalence of Gambling Problems, Help-Seeking, and Relationships with Trauma in Veterans

This study reviewed cross-sectional self-report survey data from 3,511 Australian Defense Force members who left the military within the past five years. Surveys included measures of gambling problems, depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder, help-seeking behaviors, and military and non-military-related trauma.

Quantitative Data Highlights

• Of recently transitioned veterans
  • 13.4% reported gambling harm.
  • 4.6% reported problem gambling.
  • 8.8% reported at-risk gambling.
  • 11.2% of younger adults aged 18–27 years showed the highest rate of at-risk gambling compared with older age groups.

Qualitative Data Highlights

Treatment Services

• Veterans with at-risk gambling also reported having sought care primarily for anxiety or depression symptoms, as well as functional impairment.

Trauma

• Military-related traumatic experience had no unique relationship with gambling problems.
• Males were more likely to report both at-risk gambling and problem gambling when compared to females.

Military Branch Differences

• Army service veterans reported higher levels of at-risk gambling and problem gambling when compared to Air Force personnel.

Military Rank

• Non-commissioned Officers (NCOs)s / Other Ranks reported increased rates of both at-risk and problem gambling (when compared to Commissioned Officers).

Identified Risk Factors

Military History

• Medical discharge.
• Operational deployment.
• Greater numbers of military and non-military (lifetime) traumatic events.

Co-ocurring Disorders

• Symptoms of PTSD.
• PTSD hyperarousal.
• Depression symptoms.

Lifestyle

• Veterans receiving DVA treatment support.
• Unemployment (including those on a disability support pension).

Identified Protective Factors

• Never been deployed.
• In full or part-time paid work.
• Being a commissioned officer.

Identified Challenges

• There is very little research on gambling problems in veteran and military populations.

Identified Recommendations

Screening

• There is a need for strategies to increase help-seeking for gambling amongst veteran and military populations.
• Given that gambling problems are encountered more regularly in treatment for other conditions, identification strategies and responses must be situated in such settings.

Prevention

• There is a need for universal prevention strategies for gambling problems in veterans that will cut across those within and outside veteran focused services.

Identified Conclusions

• “Time since transition was not associated with gambling problems, which contrasts with trajectories seen in other psychiatric disorders that often exhibit increases with time since transition to civilian life. These contrasting patterns of association with time since transition may suggest that gambling problems and related risk-taking behaviors precede the development of many other mental health problems among some transitioned members, may act as an ‘up stream’ antecedent of such mental health problems, and accordingly comprise potential targets for early intervention and prevention.”