Seeking multiple doors? Service utilization among a cohort of women gamblers over two years

Abstract

Objectives: With the feminization of gambling, the proportions of women experiencing gambling problems and seeking help have increased. Understanding help-seeking in women is essential to better meeting their needs, however little is known about the service use of women who have gambling problems in the general population. This study aims to investigate women gamblers’ trajectories of service use over two years in relation to the severity of their gambling problems. Methods: A total of 90 women were recruited from a general population cohort study in the province of Québec, Canada. The sample was followed over a two-year period. Results: While women were well aware of the helpline service and the treatment centres, only one quarter of these women had used a support service in their lifetime. The analysis revealed the presence of two distinct groups of women; one group showed a stable path including women who remained in the same PGSI category (n = 31) across the three waves and a group with a non-stable path, including women who changed categories on the PGSI across the three waves (n = 23). The most popular services used were the helpline and Gamblers Anonymous, while treatment centers were used to a lesser extent. The patterns of service use were diverse and no clear association between service use and gambling problems was found. Conclusions: This study highlights the need to better understand the potential barriers to help-seeking and whether current services are well-suited to women gamblers. Efforts to fight the lack of knowledge about support and/or treatment options are needed, as well as the challenge to reach women with chronic gambling problems.