Gambling addiction affects all facets of society, with no regard to financial status or occupation.
But for military members, gambling issues can be indicative of other problems. According to Mark Lucia, director of Strategic Insights for the Kindbridge Research Institute and a former medic with Army Special Forces, the risk factors that overlap with comorbidities including PTSD, anxiety, depression, traumatic brain injuries and suicide.
“You have this ready-made population that sort of already is prone to these problems, both through the comorbidity conditions that they present themselves with, but then also the risk factors as well,” Lucia said. “And that kind of creates this sort of issue and gap there.”
The Kindbridge Research Institute recently released Gambling-Related Financial Harm in Military Communities, a study that draws on research showing how financial difficulties and stigma can reinforce each other. It’s part of the Financial Stability Responsible Gaming Initiative to research and help inform public health policy and gambling legislation, and reduce health inequities for individuals living with a gambling disorder.
Kindbridge Project Manager for the Financial Stability & Responsible Gambling Initiative Kary Carbone says there are similarities between civilian and military personnel who struggle with addiction. Everyone has cell phones and has access to the world, notably gambling sites and the risks are similar.
“I think the differences are heavily pointed to the comorbidities and the higher risk for PTSD and moving from place to place,” Carbone says. “Those (factors) increase risk for our service members.”
“You have deployments, you have being away from home,” Lucia says. “And whether it’s offering something bigger or it’s offering a taste of escapism, who can tell the difference?”
“I think it probably varies person to person as well,” Lucia adds. “I’m sure there’s all sorts of different motivations for it, but it creates this window of opportunity where people may be seeking some kind of outside stimulus, just to get past whatever problems they’re dealing with.”
Stigma Stand Down is Kindbridge’s program that addresses issues that afflict military personnel. Lucia noted that he has nine years of military experience and is well aware of the stigma attached to admitting weakness.
“Some of it comes from the institution, some of it comes from the individual themselves and how they perceive themselves,” Lucia says. “But it made me wonder when we started this program, like what does stigma look like?”
Lucia pored over data going back to World War I, attempting to discern the origin of stigma felt by military personnel. He found that over time attitudes have gotten better, as military institutions have addressed the problem. Specifically in the past if someone sought care for a mental health issue a unit commander would be apprised and the service member would be placed in a meeting with 20-30 others
All people that the service member would work with on a routine basis would hear every mental health problem in the battalion.
“That issue’s gone, but the issue that isn’t gone is this issue of security clearance, debt and kind of the risks that go along with that,” Lucia said.
Carbone said Kindbridge’s participation adds another way for veterans to seek treatment.
“Policies are updating, but it’s not it’s not perfect, especially for anything related to problem gambling,” she said “So (we’re) continuing with education, continuing to provide treatment resources off base. That our also understanding of the situation. I think it is really paramount.
“We know that treatment resources, education are not a one size fits all. Being able to have Stigma Stand Down targeted and geared for service members is, I think, vital for this community.”
The military establishment is slowly becoming more receptive to treatment. But many clinicians who are overburdened, need to be able to send cases elsewhere.
“That’s where Sigma Stand Down really lends itself to being supportive,” he says. At the lower levels, I think there’s always a little bit of a mistrust around some organization who’s going to come through and tell you everything you need to know about some new issue. These briefs always end up being a bit tough to listen to and whatnot.”
But Lucia says the Department of Defense has recently taken gambling disorders more seriously. Via the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program, more funds have been allocated to help veterans with gambling issues.
“It seems like it’s one of the first legitimate kind of decent-sized sources of federal funding on this issue that has existed,” Lucia says. “I think they’re starting to realize it more and more and I think it’s cropping its head up in areas where it’s getting harder to ignore.”
