The relationship between gambling, significant life events, co-morbidity and associated social factors

The complexity of internal and external factors influencing problem gambling and related harms has been widely recognised. Previous research has explored the associations between co-morbidity and gambling, and the role of significant life events in problem gambling. However, there is a notable lack of research considering the interplay between these factors. In March 2012, The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation awarded an Early Career Research Grant to two researchers, Dr Louise Holdsworth and Dr Elaine Nuske, and Professor Nerilee Hing as mentor, of the Centre for Gambling Education and Research (CGER) at Southern Cross University. This grant was for a research project to examine how levels of gambling and gambling-related problems may be affected by significant life events, psychological co-morbidities and related social factors amongst both people who gamble recreationally and people who gamble at more problematic levels. Ultimately, an important aim of this study was to help to inform gambling-related policy in Victoria, including harm minimisation, prevention and treatment strategies for problem gambling.