The stress, pain, and isolation of a gambling problem may cause some individuals to feel that there is no way out, leading to thoughts of suicide.

This workshop outlines a multi-layered approach to understanding and addressing the intersection of disordered gambling and lethality. The Question, Persuade, and Refer Gatekeeper training is presented as one approach for gambling prevention professionals, clinicians, and helpline operators to use. Strategies for preparing coalitions to integrate these important and connected issues utilizing education, awareness and advocacy are also discussed.

This approach includes:

• Providing Question, Persuade, Refer Suicide Prevention to problem gambling prevention professionals, clinicians, and Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline operators
• Training gaming venue staff on warning signs, destigmatizing language and dialogue
• Encouraging community coalition work to integrate these important and connected issues through education, awareness, and advocacy.
• Performing quality assurance calls to the Helpline to collect data on the effectiveness of lethality assessments

Training Priorities

Audience

State and community-level substance misuse prevention practitioners and other public health professionals.

Learning Objects

• Understanding the correlation between gambling disorder and lethality
• Addressing the issue of suicide in their community or clinical settings
• Identifying strategies to address issues in communities and within organizations

Training Content

Correlations between gambling disorder and lethality: 

• Finding and analyzing data 
• Understanding societal impact

Lethality:

• Understanding
• Use of Assessments

Approaches for addressing lethality: 

• Community-level
• Organizations