Recommendations for improving the availability and the quality of treatment service for gambling disorder persons

Introduction: The reasons for not taking treatment may include various social, cultural, individual and structural health system factors. The aim of the article is to present recommendations for improving the aid provision situation as regards people with gambling disorders and tailoring the service to their needs.

Material and methods: The qualitative method in the form of a semi-structured interview was used in the study. A total of 90 interviews were conducted; people with gambling disorders, employees of social welfare centres, therapists employed in addiction treatment centres (both for drug and alcohol dependence), general practitioners and psychiatrists were involved.

Results: The recommendations identified in the study can be categorised into five areas: limiting the availability of gambling, information and education, increasing access to treatment, improving the quality and adequacy of treatment, and research. Within these areas more specific issues were divided.

Discussion: Introducing solutions with proven efficacy which limit the availability of alcoholic beverages to the field of gambling policy can be an effective way of limiting the prevalence of gambling and gambling related problems. Improving information and education strategies can increase the awareness in public opinion of the threat of gambling problems and bring attention to its importance among other social problems. In turn, increasing the availability of treatment and its quality and adequacy are important from the point of view of the barriers identified in the research that people undertaking therapy encounter.