Young gambling addicts face problems getting help
Youths twice as likely to become addicted as adults
TORONTO (Jul 29, 2006)
Gambling is more popular than ever among young people, but experts say it's a huge challenge providing help to those who get hooked.
Several surveys, including a study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, have found that young people are twice as likely to develop serious gambling problems as their adult counterparts.
The centre's 2005 study found 4.5 per cent of youth reported a gambling problem compared with 3.5 per cent in 2003.
John Macdonald, a youth specialist with the centre's problem gambling service, said the numbers are in line with his recent experiences treating young gambling addicts.
"I've been doing this for 10 years, and in the past two years I've seen more clients than I ever have before," he said.
Macdonald said his clients, who most often fall prey to the perils of poker and online gaming, range in age from 14 to 24.
Some of them, such as a teenager who came to him after winning over $60,000 at blackjack, are able to admit that their preoccupation with gambling is excessive and may lead to increasingly risky behaviour down the road.
But Macdonald and other researchers agree such cases are not the norm.
Robert Williams, a professor with the University of Alberta and Alberta Gaming Research Institute, said youth are frequently in denial about their problems.
"When it comes to treatment, the barriers are more internal than external," he said. "Youth and adolescents are more likely to minimize the problem or deal with it on their own."
While many of the youth Macdonald sees have been brought to him by concerned parents, he said parental involvement is more often one of the many barriers preventing young people from seeking treatment.
"A lot of them are bailed out by their parents," Macdonald said. "Even if they don't wind up in a real financial jam, their necessities are being provided for them. In that sense, there's not as much at stake."
Jeffrey Derevensky, co-director of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High Risk Behaviours at McGill University, is concerned that a high-risk segment of the population is being neglected.
"We're finding anywhere from 80 per cent to 90 per cent of adolescents report having gambled," he said. "One of the findings from our research is the earlier you start gambling, the greater the chance of being at risk for developing a gambling problem."
There's also a lack of access to treatment facilities, says Derevensky, adding that stigmas are associated with seeking help.
Most treatment facilities are contained within centres largely devoted to dealing with drug and alcohol abuse.
Derevensky said youth who want treatment for a gambling problem are reluctant to be associated with such centres or even to be seen in their vicinity.
He also cited a lack of facilities as a major impediment for youth, especially those who are unable to travel to areas where counselling may be available.
Macdonald agrees the number of facilities is inadequate to deal with the issue.
"In Ontario, for instance, there used to be 44 centres where someone could get gambling treatment, I think now there are 46," he said. "Even then, they don't always have staff dedicated to dealing with youth."
Even university campuses, which generally have services geared towards their student population, are ill-equipped to handle the rising numbers of youth gamblers.
Universities across the country are pouring money into youth gambling research, but McGill is the only campus to provide on-site treatment services, Derevensky said.
He said his centre is planning to launch an online treatment program in September where clients can interact in a group setting.
Williams said the reluctance to provide on-site services may stem from a fear of acknowledging the pervasiveness of gambling addictions in today's students.
"I don't think universities necessarily like the notion," he said. "There was some reluctance for treatment agencies to get into gambling, because it was seen as an admission that their province had more gambling issues. The same thing may be in the minds of some university administrators." |
