This event is free to attend.

To attend the event online, please register on Teams. 

1:00pm - 2:00pm: Seminar

Speakers: 

Dr Gregory White: Gregory is a Research Director in the Health Policy team at the National Centre for Social Research. He has ten years of experience in qualitative and mixed-method research design and delivery. His background is in the field of health policy, social services and investigating health inequalities. He is the author of reports investigating social service and third-sector care in the context of welfare reform, and a report on a macro level analysis of health and social care policy implementation. Gregory has previously worked on a £7 million Wellcome Trust study – Born in Bradford Age of Wonder – focusing on the physical and mental health of adolescents in Bradford in their transition to young adults. He has also worked on an evaluation of ‘A Better Start Southend’ – a £10 million National Lottery funded programme aiming to transform services for children and their families. 

Florence Tregan: Florence is a Senior Researcher in the Health Policy team, having joined NatCen in November 2022. Prior to joining NatCen, she completed an undergraduate degree in Dietetics at McGill University, and obtained master's degrees in Public Health and in Politics from Université de Montréal. Since joining NatCen, Florence has worked on a range of qualitative and mixed methods projects looking at gambling harms, loneliness, and the voluntary and community sector in England. Florence is currently working on a mixed-method project looking at gambling behaviour and suicidality, as well as acting as project manager for the Gambling Act Review Evaluation for DCMS / the GC. She is also a member of NatCen Research Ethics Committee. 

Maria David: Maria is a Senior Researcher with six years’ experience of conducting qualitative research, survey research, evaluations, rapid evidence reviews, deliberative research, and theoretical research in industry and academia. Maria specialises in research with under-served groups and on sensitive topics, including managing and delivering research on gambling harms, social and economic inequalities, experiences of people in prison, and far-right political extremism. Maria co-delivers the “Managing Challenging Interviews” course for the Social Research Association, the “Ethical Considerations in Social Research” course for the National Centre for Research Methods, and chairs one of NatCen’s Research Ethics Committee panels. 

Seminar Abstract:

People who gamble are at increased risk of suicidal ideation and attempt (“suicidality”) when compared to the general population. Recent research on young adults in the UK confirms the association between gambling behaviours and an increased risk of suicidality (Wardle, H. and McManus, S., 2021). A challenge in suicide research is the difficulty in predicting which individuals are at increased risk. For gambling-related suicidality specifically, no research to date has investigated how different types of gambling (i.e., patterns of play) vary in their relationship with 1) suicidal ideation and 2) suicide attempt, whether these relationships differ across age and between sexes and whether other risk and/or protective factors, such as income, working status, marital status or the presence of a mental health condition impact on these relationships. Finally, to date, there has been limited data on the implications for prevention and support interventions for those affected.

In addition, general population studies have demonstrated a relationship between experiencing direct gambling harms and both suicidal ideation and behaviour (Wardle, H., John, A., Dymond, S., & McManus, S. 2020). However, there is a dearth of evidence on the gambling-related and wider determinants (risk and protective factors) of suicidal ideation and/or behaviour. There is limited understanding of the determinants among different demographic groups or of how these vary and interrelate. Resultantly, there are significant knowledge gaps around the potential critical points of intervention for those experiencing gambling harms. Equally, there is a gap in knowledge about the intersections of gambling, suicidal behaviour, and stigma. The combined stigma of being identified and/or self-identifying as a ‘problem gambler’, and having experienced suicidal ideation or attempt, is an area where limited evidence exists (Livingstone, C., & Rintoul, A. 2021).

To address this gap, we are conducting a programme of research with two complimentary work strands: (1) a quantitative study conducting an online survey of ~11,000 people who gamble to examine the relationship between specific patterns of play and suicidality, using logistic regression; (2) a qualitative investigation conducting interviews with frontline delivery and treatment staff (n=6) and those with experience of gambling harms, or, have accessed treatment or support for issues related to gambling (n=12).

References: 

Wardle, H. and McManus, S., (2021) Suicidality and gambling among young adults in Great Britain: results from a cross-sectional online survey. The Lancet Public Health, 6(1), pp.e39-e49.
Wardle, H., John, A., Dymond, S., & McManus, S. (2020). Problem gambling and suicidality in England: secondary analysis of a representative cross-sectional survey. Public health, 184, 11-16.
Livingstone, C., & Rintoul, A. (2021). Gambling-related suicidality: stigma, shame, and neglect. The Lancet Public Health, 6(1), e4-e5.

 

Gregory White

Florence Tregan

Maria David