Gambling Awareness Project Sheffield Gambling: What's The Harm? Mental Health & Gambling-Related Harm Self Help Helpful Services I'm worried about someone If you are worried that someone you know is experiencing negative impacts due to gambling, it might help learning about what gambling-related harm is and what support is available. Understanding Gambling-related harm Gambling involves taking a risk on something in order to gain a better outcome. Traditionally gambling encompasses risking money in a hope to win more money. In 2022 the gambling commission found that 50% of young people have gambled in the last 12 months. Though, gambling can be considered a form a social entertainment it can have a damaging impact on a young person’s mental and physical wellbeing and heath. The Gambling Commission have estimated that 55,000 11–16 year olds experience gambling-related harm due to their gambling behaviours, with another 85,000 at risk to developing harms. While a further 1.4 million adults in the UK also experience harm due to their gambling behaviours. Signs a young person might be experiencing gambling-related harm Money worries / borrowing money off family and friends Increased interest in sports results Lying about gambling or hiding it Spending a lot of money on online transactions Crime Mood swings Lack of sleep or struggling to fall asleep Feeling depressed or anxious Spending less time with family and friends Thoughts of suicide / self-harm Missing school, college or work commitments Losing interest in usual hobbies Change in personality Understanding Mental Health and Wellbeing While we all experience things differently, it helps to have a general understanding of mental health. Mental health is about how we think, feel and behave. Our mental health is on a spectrum and can range from good to poor. Some young people may use gambling as a way to deal with poor mental health. If gambling starts to impact a young person’s life negatively it’s also likely that they will experience poor mental health due to this. The hardest step while struggling with mental health and gambling-related harm is being able to talk about it. But it's a good and rewarding thing to do, and it takes the stigma away from it. It can feel difficult to support someone who is struggling with gambling-related harm. It might make you feel worried, frustrated or lonely. But there are things you can do to help. This might include encouraging them to seek help for the first time. Ways to offer support There are many ways you can help, but the best thing you can do is ask them what they want. Different people will want support in different ways, at different times. You could: Help them with practical things, like making doctor's appointments or attending peer support sessions. Encourage them to do things they enjoy, like watching a film or doing sport. Offer support for stressful things, like schoolwork and exams. Check up on their physical health, like making sure they're eating well and sleeping enough. Support their ability to help themselves, which can also improve their confidence. Helping someone find the right support There are various organisations which provide confidential support, peer support and therapy for people experiencing gambling-related harms. You can find a list of helpful organisations here which can help. Promote Self Exclusion If someone is struggling with gambling-related harm one thing they can do is to self-exclude from gambling. This is when you exclude yourself from being able to go into a bookmakers or block yourself from accessing gambling websites online. You can also find more information on how to self-exclude on our signposting pages. Looking after yourself Supporting someone else can be a difficult time but it's important to remember that you dont need to do this on your own and support is available. Most gambling-related harm support services offer support to the people who are gambling and the people around them. Manage Cookie Preferences