About the Webinar
Suicidality among people experiencing problem gambling is an urgent and often underrecognized public health issue with important implications for healthcare providers, public health professionals, policymakers, prevention specialists, researchers, and the gambling industry. This webinar will examine the psychological, social, and financial factors that contribute to elevated suicide risk among individuals experiencing problem gambling. Participants will gain an understanding of the complex pathways linking gambling-related harm to suicidal thoughts and behaviors, including recent findings on the application of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide to this population. Using case examples, we will highlight challenges associated with suicide risk assessment with this population. We will provide with practical recommendations for comprehensive suicide risk assessment and intervention, informed by recent clinical research findings. We will conclude with a call to action for those in healthcare, public health, community, and gambling settings.
Attendees will earn 1 continuing education hour. Agencies that have approved ICRG as a CE Provider include:
- The International Center for Responsible Gaming is approved by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, to offer continuing education (Provider # 100793).
- The International Center for Responsible Gaming is approved by NBCC, National Board of Certified Counselors, as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6474. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The ICRG is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
- The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The ICRG maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) is a Preferred Provider with the International Problem Gambling and Gaming Certification Organization (IPGGC).
Learning Objectives
- Describe key psychological, social, and financial mechanisms that contribute to heightened suicide risk among individuals with problem gambling.
- Describe evidence-informed strategies for reducing gambling-related harm and suicide risk in the clinical context.
- Identify opportunities for early intervention and referral across healthcare, public health, community, and gambling settings.
Featured Speakers
Heather M. Gray, PhD is Director of Academic Affairs at the Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health Alliance and Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Her published research explores the development of, and recovery from, addictive disorders with a focus on interpersonal factors. In collaboration with Internet and land-based gambling operators in the United States and internationally, Dr. Gray has studied how people gamble and respond to interventions designed to promote responsible gambling. Currently, she manages the Division on Addiction’s community health education work, including its partnership in the Massachusetts Technical Assistance Center for Problem Gambling Treatment. Dr. Gray earned her PhD in social psychology from Harvard University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Boston University’s Health and Disability Research Institute.
James Whelan, PhD is an expert in understanding and treating gambling problems. He has spent over two decades helping individuals and communities reduce gambling-related harm. As the Executive Director of the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education & Research and founder of The Gambling Clinic, Dr. Whelan has built programs that combine research, education, and real-world treatment to support people affected by gambling. He has authored more than 120 academic papers on the topic and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Gambling Studies, the leading publication in the field. Through The Gambling Clinic, Dr Whelan has overseen the treatment of over 3,000 individuals who have experienced gambling harms. He is respected for his ability to turn complex research into practical tools that make a difference in people’s lives. He is driven by a clear mission: to help people overcome challenges so they can build the lives—and successes—they deserve.
