Firefighters may be at higher risk of gambling problems

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Author(s): Cowlishaw, Sean ; Little, J. ; Sbisa, Alyssa ; O'Donnell, Meaghan ; Hinton, Mark ; Sadler, Nicole ; Savic, A. ; Forbes, David ; Metcalf, Olivia ; McFarlane, Alexander C. ; Van Hooff, Miranda ; Lawrence-Wood, Ellie

Journal: Addictive Behaviors

Year Published: 2020

Date Added: July 31, 2020

Firefighters face stressful and traumatic situations because of their job. As a result, they may turn to gambling as a way to cope with stress and trauma. This study looked at the rate of gambling problems in firefighters and tested for a link between gambling and experiencing traumatic events and mental health problems. The researchers surveyed 566 male firefighters in Australia. Overall, 2.3% of firefighters had problem gambling, and another 10% were at risk of problem gambling. Firefighters who experienced a greater number of different traumatic events were more likely to have gambling problems. Additionally, firefighters with gambling problems were more likely to experience mental health problems, such as anxiety.

Citation: Cowlishaw, S., Little, J., Sbisa, A., McFarlane, A. C., Van Hooff, M., Lawrence-Wood, E., O’Donnell, M., Hinton, M., Sadler, N., Savic, A., Forbes, D., & Metcalf, O. (2020). Prevalence and implications of gambling problems among firefighters. Addictive Behaviors, 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106326

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106326

Keywords: behavioural addictions ; problem gambling ; trauma ; workplace

Topics: Lottery

Conceptual Framework Factors: Environment - Social and Economic Impacts ; Psychological Factors ; Social - Social Demographics ; Gambling Environment ; Social Factors

Response Rate: 578/1061 = 54.5%, of the 578 completed surveys, only 12 were from female firefighters, so they were excluded from the study (leaving a final sample of N=566 male firefighters)

Study Design: Observational: Cross-sectional

Geographic Coverage: Australia, South Australia

Study Population: Full-time career and retained male firefighters of the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service who were employed in 2014 (N=566)

Sampling Procedure: The researchers sent surveys to all employees of the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service. After receiving the completed surveys, they decided to exclude female participants because there were so few (12 out of 578 completed surveys were from female firefighters).

Study Funding:

Funding for the study design and data collection was provided by a NHMRC Program Grant held in conjunction with UNSW, Flinders University, and University of Melbourne.