Study finds people with gambling disorder at higher risk of suicide

People diagnosed with a gambling disorder are significantly more likely to die by suicide, according to new research led by Swansea University.

The study, published in the journal BJPsych Open, is the first in the UK to use routinely collected NHS data to identify suicide risk factors among people with gambling problems.

Researchers examined 30 years of anonymised healthcare records from Wales, held in the SAIL Databank, covering the period from 1993 to 2023. They compared the records of 92 people with a recorded gambling diagnosis who died by suicide with those of 2,990 people who died from other causes.

The analysis included GP appointments, hospital admissions, outpatient records and death certificates.

Lead author Professor Simon Dymond, Director of the Gambling Research, Education and Treatment (GREAT) Centre at Swansea University, said the findings highlight a pressing public health challenge.

“Almost half of adults worldwide report gambling activity in the past year, and gambling-related harm is a growing global health concern,” he said. “Yet, until now, no study has examined the association between gambling diagnoses and mental health service use in the months preceding death by suicide.”

The research found that individuals with a gambling diagnosis who later died by suicide were more likely to have had recent contact with mental health services, particularly through emergency or hospital admissions rather than routine GP or outpatient care.

Researchers say this pattern suggests missed opportunities for early intervention and support.

Significantly, the study found that a gambling disorder was a stronger predictor of suicide than several other recognised mental health conditions, including depression, schizophrenia and alcohol use.

Under-represented

Professor Dymond warned that the scale of the problem is likely to be under-represented, as help-seeking rates among people experiencing gambling harms are “persistently low”, meaning many individuals never receive a diagnosis.

“This suggests gambling disorder poses a unique risk,” he said. “Importantly, not everyone who needs help gets a diagnosis, so the patterns we observed are likely to underestimate the scale of harm and its association with suicide.”

The researchers, including collaborators from King’s College London and Gambling Harm UK, say the findings could help shape more effective prevention policies. They argue that linked healthcare data can be used to flag patients at heightened risk and that mental health services should routinely screen for gambling-related harm.

“Improved screening and recording of gambling-related harm in mental health settings, with appropriate signposting to NHS sources of help and support, could save lives,” Professor Dymond added.

Campaigners have long warned of a link between gambling addiction and suicide, calling for tougher regulation, improved treatment pathways and mandatory affordability checks.

The study’s authors say further research is needed to explore how early warning signs can be better captured within primary care.