A new healthcare training program launched by Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust, in association with Betknowmore UK and Bournemouth University, has received the backing of Labour’s Shadow Minister for Mental Health.
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan has given her support to the ‘Mindful Resilience’ campaign, designed to address a lack of knowledge and confidence among health professionals in diagnosing younger people with gaming and gambling addictions.
Furthermore, the campaign will aim to promote signposting to the National Treatment Network & NHS for patients needing support.
The Shadow Minister commented: “The Mindful Resilience Programme is a pioneering initiative, aiming to address the gaps in existing support available to health care professionals working with young people living with gambling addictions.
“It is vital that we work proactively to tackle these addictions and support those affected. And the first step is ensuring that our health professionals have the knowledge and confidence to offer young people, struggling with these challenges, the support they need.”
The launch of the campaign was inspired by a Gambling Commission report in 2019 which concluded that greater awareness amongst healthcare professionals and frontline service providers was needed in relation to gambling-related suicide.
Dr Sarah Hodge, Cyberpsychologist at Bournemouth University, added: “It was becoming increasingly clear to those of us who have studied and worked with gaming and gambling-related harms, that the health sector was lacking in the knowledge and confidence to identify risks and appropriately signpost young people and their families.
“Both charities are aware of the scale of the issue and it’s a natural progression for them to work with academics like myself to develop and provide training to those health professionals who need support.”
