Indigenous Australian gamblers and their help-seeking behavior

Hing, N ORCiD: 0000-0002-2150-9784Help-seeking for gambling problems can involve professional help (formal treatment), non-professional assistance (family and friends) and self-help. While several studies have examined gambling help-seeking behavior amongst mainstream populations, little is known in relation to specific cultural groups, particularly Indigenous and First Nations populations. Yet knowledge about help-seeking for gambling problems by these groups, along with associated motivators and barriers, is vital for guiding the development of culturally appropriate public health strategies and treatment services to try to ameliorate the negative impacts of gambling-related problems. This chapter presents and analyses the results of an investigation into help-seeking behaviors of Indigenous Australians in relation to their awareness of and preferences for professional help, non-professional help and self-help strategies for gambling-related problems. While part of a larger project, this study involved a non-random sample of 36 Indigenous regular gamblers in two areas of northern Australia with high Indigenous populations. Taking an interpretive, qualitative stance, semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted by an Indigenous male researcher, with help from a non-Indigenous female research assistant. Results showed that awareness of professional gambling help services was low and questions were raised around the cultural appropriateness of online and telephone services, self-exclusion, mutual support groups and non-Indigenous face-to-face services. Those providing non-professional help for Indigenous gamblers included partners, family, friends, colleagues and community leaders, although family and friends were often gamblers themselves, which could be problematic. Common self-help strategies used were taking up new hobbies and interests, learning new skills, taking care of health, employing budgeting skills, avoiding gambling venues, and avoiding family and friends who gamble. This research revealed that these Indigenous gamblers preferred self-help strategies initially to avoid the shame and embarrassment of other treatments. These selfhelp strategies were followed by informal sources of help, then professional or formal help. Thus self-help measures could be more widely publicized and the use of professional and non-professional sources of help could be improved to help optimize recovery from gambling-related problems amongst Indigenous Australians. © 2013 Nova Science Publishers, Inc