ICRG Supports Gambling Disorder Screening Day

Brief screens can help people decide whether to seek formal evaluation of their gambling behavior. The 3-item Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS) is based on the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for Gambling Disorder. A “yes” response to any single item indicates potential gambling-related problems and the need for additional evaluation. The ICRG is proud to have played a role in the development of this evidence-based screening tool.

The ICRG is also a proud supporter of Gambling Disorder Screening Day (Screening Day), a one-day event held annually on the second Tuesday of March. Established by the Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, Screening Day has included supporters and screeners from Cambridge Health Alliance, Massachusetts and New England, the United States and around the world. Screening Day has helped identify individuals in those regions who might have Gambling Disorder and should seek further assessment.

The ICRG is participating in Screening Day by distributing for free the BBGS in magnet form—suitable for affixing to your file cabinet—to treatment providers. To request magnets, contact [email protected].

Organizations are encouraged to host a screening event on Screening Day. The Division’s Screening Day Toolkit contains a variety of free online tools and resources, including a printable and customizable Screening Day Flyer, BBGS e-Screener (Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen) and a one-page article What Is Gambling Disorder? The Division encourages organizations and individuals to share these tools and resources to educate staff and patients. To host Screening Day on Tuesday, March 8th, 2022, email [email protected].

ICRG staff Responsible Gaming gambling disorder Division on Addictions