Rintoul Angela, Dwyer Jeremy, Millar Ciara, Bugeja Lyndal, Nguyen Huy
Health Innovation and Transformation Centre (HITC), Federation University, Building 5N, Churchill, Victoria 3842, Australia.
The Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 65 Kavanagh St, Southbank, Victoria 3006, Australia.
Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2023 Sep 12;41:100903. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100903. eCollection 2023 Dec.
Gambling is associated with serious harms to health, including suicide. Yet public health systems for recording the role of gambling in suicide deaths are relatively underdeveloped. This study contributes to the understanding of this relationship.
A population-based cross-sectional study of suicides reported to the Coroners Court of Victoria between 2009 and 2016 was performed to identify the incidence and characteristics of gambling-related suicides (GRS).
From 2009 to 2016 there were 4788 suicide deaths in Victoria. Of these, 184 were identified as direct GRS and a further 17 were GRS by 'affected others'. Together, these GRS comprise 4.2% of all suicides in Victoria over this eight-year period. Direct GRS account for an annual average rate of 5.13 GRS per million Victorian adults. GRS were significantly more likely to be male (n = 153, 83%), than the Victorian population of total suicide deaths and significantly more likely to occur among those most disadvantaged. Family members and friends were more likely than clinicians to know about the deceased gambling.
Given that gambling is not routinely investigated by coroners and may be hidden from family, friends, and health professionals, this is an underestimate of the true scale of the GRS in Victoria. A range of measures should be introduced to prevent, screen, support, and treat gambling harm. Family members and friends should also be provided with help services. Preventing gambling-related harm through public health measures could significantly reduce suicidality and suicide, both in Australia and globally.
Federation University Australia, Coroners Court of Victoria, Suicide Prevention Australia.
赌博与包括自杀在内的严重健康危害相关。然而，用于记录赌博在自杀死亡中所起作用的公共卫生系统相对不够完善。本研究有助于理解这种关系。
对2009年至2016年向维多利亚州死因裁判法庭报告的自杀事件进行基于人群的横断面研究，以确定与赌博相关的自杀（GRS）的发生率和特征。
2009年至2016年期间，维多利亚州有4788例自杀死亡。其中，184例被确定为直接GRS，另有17例为“受影响的其他人”导致的GRS。在这八年期间，这些GRS占维多利亚州所有自杀事件的4.2%。直接GRS的年平均发生率为每百万维多利亚州成年人中有5.13例GRS。GRS患者为男性的可能性（n = 153，83%）显著高于维多利亚州自杀死亡总数中的男性比例，且在最弱势群体中发生的可能性显著更高。家庭成员和朋友比临床医生更有可能知晓死者的赌博情况。
鉴于死因裁判官通常不会对赌博进行常规调查，而且赌博情况可能对家人、朋友和健康专业人员隐瞒，这低估了维多利亚州GRS的真实规模。应采取一系列措施来预防、筛查、支持和治疗赌博危害。还应为家庭成员和朋友提供帮助服务。通过公共卫生措施预防与赌博相关的危害，可在澳大利亚乃至全球显著降低自杀倾向和自杀率。
澳大利亚联邦大学、维多利亚州死因裁判法庭、澳大利亚预防自杀协会
