People diagnosed with a gambling disorder are significantly more likely to die by suicide, according to new research by Swansea University in collaboration with King's College London and Gambling Harm UK.
Published in BJPsych Open, this is the first UK study to use routinely collected NHS data to identify factors that may predict suicide among people with gambling problems. Using anonymous healthcare records from Wales covering 30 years (1993-2023) via the SAIL Databank, researchers compared 92 people with a gambling diagnosis who died by suicide to 2,990 who died from other causes. They examined GP records, hospital admissions, outpatient appointments, and death records.
The research found that those with a gambling diagnosis who died by suicide had more recent contact with mental health services overall, and particularly through hospital admissions rather than routine GP or outpatient appointments, compared to people without a diagnosis. This suggests there may be missed opportunities for earlier support and intervention.
Across our health system, gambling harm is still too often recognised only at the point of crisis. This study shows we can spot risk earlier if we ask routinely, record it clearly, and connect people to support without delay. We must also confront the wider environment such as relentless advertising, 24/7 online access, and debt and financial strain as well as occupational factors. High-stress, shift-based and safety-critical roles may carry particular vulnerabilities and deserve focused attention. By combining better screening with a sharper view of environmental and occupational risks, we can design earlier, targeted interventions that save lives. This work helps us start this journey.
Dr Daniel Leightley, co-author of the study and Lecturer in Digital Health Sciences at King's College London
Lead author Professor Simon Dymond, Director of the Gambling Research, Education and Treatment (GREAT) Centre at Swansea University, said: "Almost half of adults worldwide report gambling activity in the past year, and gambling-related harm is a growing global health concern. Yet, until now, no study has examined the association between gambling diagnoses and mental health service use in the months preceding death by suicide.
"A gambling diagnosis was a stronger predictor of suicide than other mental health conditions, such as depression, schizophrenia or alcohol use - indicating gambling disorder poses a unique risk. Importantly, help-seeking rates for gambling are persistently low and now everyone who needs help gets a diagnosis, so the patterns we observed in the study are a likely underestimate of the scale of the harm caused by gambling and its association with suicide."
The research indicates that suicide risk can be identified through linked healthcare records, creating opportunities for earlier intervention. The researchers hope the findings will support healthcare professionals and policymakers in developing better systems for identifying and assisting those at risk.
The study aligns with Dr Leightley's broader work at King's on veterans' health, and forms part of a wider programme focusing on the health and wellbeing of serving personnel. The next step will be to build on this general population focus and examine veterans' health in greater depth.
