Gender differences in felt stigma and barriers to help-seeking for problem gambling

BACKGROUND: Men and women differ in their patterns of help-seeking for health and social problems. For people experiencing problem gambling, feelings of stigma may affect if and when they reach out for help. In this study we examine men's and women's perceptions of felt stigma in relation to help-seeking for problematic gambling. METHODS: Using concept mapping, we engaged ten men and eighteen women in group activities. We asked men and women about their perceptions of the pleasurable aspects and negative consequences of gambling; they generated a list of four hundred and sixteen statements. These statements were parsed for duplication and for relevance to the study focal question and reduced to seventy-three statements by the research team. We then asked participants to rate their perceptions of how much felt stigma (negative impact on one's own or family's reputation) interfered with help-seeking for gambling. We analyzed the data using a gender lens. FINDINGS: Men and women felt that shame associated with gambling-related financial difficulties was detrimental to help-seeking. For men, the addictive qualities of and emotional responses to gambling were perceived as stigma-related barriers to help-seeking. For women, being seduced by the ‘bells and whistles’ of the gambling venue, their denial of their addiction, their belief in luck and that the casino can be beat, and the shame of being dishonest were perceived as barriers to help-seeking. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to engage people who face gambling problems need to consider gendered perceptions of what is viewed as stigmatizing.