Designing a research based prevention program for youth gambling problems

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Designing a research based prevention program for
youth gambling problems

• Jeffrey L. Derevensky, Ph.D.
• International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems
  and High-Risk Behaviors
• McGill University
• Singapore Problem Gambling Conference
• July, 2007
• www.youthgambling.com

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Gambling/gaming has become normalized in our
society
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What do we mean by gambling prevention?

• Prevention programs are developed to reduce the
  likelihood of problematic gambling
• Prevention can target different subsets of
  populations or special population groups

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Prevention can occur on three levels

• Primary prevention targeting intervention to
  individuals who have not experienced a gambling
  problem.
• Secondary prevention targeting intervention to
  individuals exhibiting risky behaviors,
  inappropriate attitudes, and erroneous gambling
  cognitions.
• Tertiary prevention treatment of those
  individuals currently experiencing a serious
  gambling problem.

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Prevention Issues

• Abstinence
• Harm reduction/minimization

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Goals of prevention

• Improve knowledge
• Increase awareness
• Change inappropriate attitudes and/or encourage
  positive attitudes
• Correct false cognitions, understandings,
  erroneous beliefs (odds, skill vs. luck,
  strategies, superstitions)
• Behavior - prevent occurrence of excessive
  gambling - decrease/reduce excessive
  gambling patterns of behavior

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• Responsible prevention efforts include...
• Incorporating science-based knowledge
• Taking a wide-angled approach (multi-faceted)
• Adjusting the material to the developmental level
  of the recipient
• at-risk vs. general population (universal)
• Testing for program effectiveness PRIOR to
  widespread implementation
• Conducting focus groups with teachers and
  children for input on program development and to
  evaluate teacher willingness to implement the
  prevention format

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Existing Programs

• Probability, Statistics, and Number Sense in
  Gambling and Everyday Life A Contemporary
  Mathematics Curriculum (Harvard University, Mass.
  Council on Compulsive Gambling, Billerica School
  System Shaffer, Hall, Vander-Bilt)
• Deal Me InGambling Trigger Videos posters
  (Minnesota Institute of Public Health, Svendsen)
• Drawing the Line (Curriculum to supplement Social
  and Personal Development, Career Life
  Management, Mathematics Economics) (Dept. of
  Health, Nova Scotia)
• Dealing With Cognitive Distortions (Class lessons
  Video) (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health,
  Ontario)

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• NCAA campaign to prevent athletes from gambling
• Improving Your Odds (curriculum about winning,
  losing, and staying out of trouble with gambling)
  (Minnesota Institute of Public Health, Svendsen
  Griffin)
• Count Me Out (Moi, je passe) Le Groupe Jeunesse
• Stacking the Odds (parent pamphlet) Playing for
  Keeps (video presentation kit) Playing with
  Fire (video for aboriginal youth) Sense
  Nonsense (curriculum) AADAC
• Wanna Bet? (curriculum guide video) B. George,
  Minnesota Council on Compulsive Gambling North
  American Training Institute

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• Clean Break
• CD ROMS (The Amazing Chateau Hooked City)
• PowerPoint school-based prevention workshops
• Paper/pencil curriculums
• Count Me Out (Moi, je passe) Le Groupe Jeunesse
• Curriculum from U.K.
• Self-exclusion programs
• Player card experimentation
• Prevention/education booths in casinos

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Additional Key Elements

• Enhanced problem solving and thinking skills
  leads to more effective coping strategies
• Strategies to successfully resolve stressful life
  events
• social skills
• coping skills
• communication skills
• decision-making skills
• low sensation-seeking behaviors
• feelings of success, self-worth and mastery
• Building of strong external resources
• family
• peers
• school
• community

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• Age appropriateness for target children/adults.
• Our research indicates significant increases in
  gambling behaviors beginning at age 9 and 10. As
  a result, early interventions continuing through
  high school are most effective.
• Medium for dissemination of information.
• Training of intervention specialists.
• Developing evaluation procedures.

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SIGNS OF PROBLEM GAMBLING
SIGNS OF PROBLEM GAMBLING

• Spends a lot of time gambling and thinking about
  gambling.
• Misses school or grades start to worsen because
  of time spent gambling.
• Starts to place larger and more frequent bets to
  maintain interest and excitement produced by
  gambling.
• Experiences mood swings and feels stressed when
  not gambling regularly or trying to reduce or
  stop gambling.
• Promises to stop or reduce their gambling but has
  trouble following through with plan.
• Lies or is secretive about gambling activities.

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SIGNS OF PROBLEM GAMBLING
SIGNS OF PROBLEM GAMBLING

• Missing personal belongings or cannot cover
  regular expenses as he/she has used these to
  finance gambling activities.
• Borrows or takes money from family members or
  friends to gamble.
• Keeps on gambling because he/she believes that
  they can win back their money and with the
  intention of eventually stopping.
• Gambles as a means to escape or forget their
  problems.
• Braggs about big wins, and is constantly talking
  about previous gambling experiences.
• Carries around (and shows off) large amounts of
  money at times.
• Seems depressed, withdrawn, or anxious at times
  in between highs

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Others types of initiatives

• Presentations/Conferences
• Booths
• Editorials
• Internet
• Training

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Positive initiatives

• Support for public service announcements
• Support for anti-youth gambling advertisements
  and programs
• Education
• Sales force
• Public
• Development and enforcement of regulations and
  statutes
• Strict penalties for non-compliance
• Provide support for telephone hot lines and print
  numbers on back of lottery tickets

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• Establishment and funding of internal departments
  dedicated toward promoting responsible gaming and
  helping gaming problems
• Specific programs designed for youth gambling,
  e.g.,
• Notices on retailer employee bulletin boards
• Statements on play slips and lottery tickets
• Visible signs on lottery booths and ticket
  machines
• Developing and providing appropriate materials to
  schools
• Press releases

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Future trends?

• gamtalk4teens.org

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