Problem gamblers in the United Kingdom have a new treatment option available
to them, in the form of the very first National Health Fund gambling clinic that
opened this week.
The National Problem Gambling Clinic was inaugurated in West London's
Soho district and boasts a full staff consisting of specialist therapists,
psychologists, psychiatrists and debt management experts. In addition, in
recognition of the fact that problem gambling also affects the sufferer's
family, the center also has family therapists at their disposal.
"We have developed a unique treatment package to address specific
difficulties that are common to problem gamblers," explained Dr. Henrietta
Bowden-Jones, the head psychiatrist at the Problem Gambling Clinic. "Due to the
nature of their addiction, gamblers' finances are often in bad shape, so an
important part of treatment is to tackle debt management and employment issues.
We also address the needs of clients' partners and family members who have been
affected by their gambling disorder and any coexisting mental health conditions
such as depression."
According to a survey commissioned eight years ago, and a follow up survey
last year, around 0.06 percent of the adult gambling population in the United
Kingdom suffers at some degree or another from problem gambling. The majority of
problem gamblers are men, and nearly 15% take part in spread betting.
57% of the population in the United Kingdom takes part in the National
Lottery, also considered a form of gambling.
