Understanding and responding to gambling harms: A brief guide for professionals

This free online learning course has been developed in collaboration GambleAware. Our online course will provide useful guidance for people who want to provide brief interventions to address risks and harms related to gambling disorders.

The course also contains an optional topic for organisational leaders wishing to set up and implement the processes necessary to support their employees to provide intervention in the workplace.

The course covers:

Introduction to gambling disorders
What is a brief intervention?
How to provide a brief intervention
Important considerations and responding to affected others
Getting your organisation ready (optional)

Aims of this course

This free online course aims to help people to understand and identify risks and harms related to gambling disorders, and equip them to provide brief interventions to help address these harms. Additionally, it is a resource to assist organisational leaders in planning for the integration of brief intervention for gambling harms into their services.

Is this course for you?

The programme is aimed at professionals who do not specialise in the treatment of gambling disorder and may be most suitable to those working in social and criminal justice settings. Examples of these roles include social workers, employment advisers, GPs, psychologists, probation officers.

Access the course

This online course is available for free.

Click to start the course below, or you can access a full-screen version of the course here. If you have any questions about this course, please contact the GambleAware team at [email protected].

Course contents

The course is split into five key sections - with interactive elements to maintain your attention and make learning easier. At the end of each section, you'll find a Revision Quiz to help boost your learning.

Topic 1: Introduction to Gambling Disorder

What gambling is
Gambling statistics
What Gambling Disorder is and the impact it can have
The possible signs of Gambling Disorder to look out for

Topic 2: What is a brief intervention?

Definitions of brief intervention
Information about brief interventions
Why we should offer brief interventions
Research into the effectiveness of brief interventions

Topic 3: How to Provide a Brief Intervention

Screening as a basis for intervention
Preparing for brief intervention
The knowledge base supporting brief intervention
Training
Elements of a brief intervention

Topic 4: Important Considerations and Responding to Affected Others

Cultural considerations and brief intervention
Overcoming potential barriers
Resources for family and affected others

Topic 5: Getting your Organisation Ready (optional)

Project initiation
Consulting within the organisation
Project planning
Implementation
Ongoing improvement

Case Studies

1. What was the most valuable aspect of the course?

Practical tips on how to apply the problem gambling severity index template as well as that of the NODS-CLip Short Gambling Disorder Screen.

2. Since completing the course have you provided a brief intervention about gambling harms and did the course help you in doing so?

Absolutely, the course provided me a well-structured intervention guide towards understanding and responding to gambling harms as a public health professional.

3. How has completing the online course impacted on your work?

As a public health professional, I now have improved understanding of how to provide gambling harm interventions towards stemming the tide of the growing public health concern.

Principal Consultant , Wunderkind Consulting Nigeria Limited

1. What was the most valuable aspect of the course?

The most valuable aspect of the online course is that I learnt different things which will help me in the future. It is cost-effective and provides top class education.

2. Since completing the course have you provided a brief intervention about gambling harms and did the course help you in doing so?

Yes, and this course helped me a lot. I have learnt how to deal with someone experiencing gambling harms, what the signs and symptoms are and how I can asses their danger level. Moreover, the course is the complete package for me to learn the details of gambling harms.

3. How has completing the course impacted on your work?

As a medical student it's directly related to my profession. After completing this course I have now the confidence to deal with gambling harms and can provide a better solution for those experiencing it.

Final year medical student