| answer text |
<p>The Department does not hold information on the numbers of people who have received
counselling or other treatment for an addiction to gambling in the last 12 months.</p><p>
</p><p>The Health Survey for England is a national survey and its stratified, random
probability sample is designed to be representative of the population living in private
households in England. Questions about gambling and problem gambling were included
in the survey in 2015 and in 2012. The 2015 survey data were published in a report
by the Gambling Commission, available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/survey-data/Health-survey-results-England-2015.pdf"
target="_blank">http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/survey-data/Health-survey-results-England-2015.pdf</a></p><p>
</p><p>The survey found that 0.9% of people aged 16+ were classified as problem gamblers
using either the PGSI (Problem Gambling Severity Index) or the DSM-IV (Diagnostic
and Statistic Manual-IV) screening instruments.</p><p> </p><p>Problem gambling can
cause physical and mental health problems, including anxiety disorders and depression.
The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme began in 2008 and
has transformed treatment of adult anxiety disorders and depression in England. Over
900,000 people now access IAPT services each year, and the Five Year Forward View
for Mental Health is committed to expanding services further, alongside improving
quality. Although problem gambling is not listed amongst the provisional diagnosis
categories that IAPT treats, IAPT practitioners would be able to treat common mental
health disorders such as depression and anxiety which problem gamblers may present
with.</p><p> </p><p>My Rt. Hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Health and the
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport have had no meetings to discuss
this specific issue. Officials from the two departments have met to discuss the impact
of problem gambling on several occasions.</p><p> </p><p>Problem gamblers can access
services in primary care and secondary care including specialised mental health and
addiction services. Any decisions on the commissioning of effective treatment services
are the responsibility of local commissioners<strong>, </strong>based on an assessment
of local need.</p><p> </p><p>There are a range of services available to problem gamblers,
details of which can be found on the NHS Choices website at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/addiction/Pages/gamblingaddiction.aspx"
target="_blank">www.nhs.uk/Livewell/addiction/Pages/gamblingaddiction.aspx</a></p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
|
|
