Maryhaven, an addiction and mental illness treatment center in Columbus, Ohio, has developed a simple online questionnaire aimed at measuring and identifying problem gambling.
Following the legalization of online sports betting in the Buckeye State, gambling experts have repeatedly warned about an increase in the number of people seeking professional help to deal with problem gambling. Furthermore, with March Madness underway and March being identified as Problem Gambling Awareness Month, gambling counselors assess in greater depth the telltale signs of problem gambling and the implications associated with it.
Abdullah Mahmood, an Administrative Coordinator at Maryhaven Treatment and Rehab Center, has shared his knowledge and expertise, with the aim of reaching out to possibly more people in need of help. The expert, with demonstrated experience in the field of mental health, substance use, and problem gambling, highlighted the importance of screening for gambling disorders and their early identification.
Experts at Maryhaven have confirmed that 3 out of every 100 people can struggle with gambling addiction problems. Mr. Mahmood noted that following the legalization of sports betting in Ohio in 2023, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people requesting their help. He added that with popular sporting events underway, such as March Madness, the risk of developing gambling problems got even higher.
The addiction expert further noted that irrespective of ethnicity and socioeconomic status, gambling can affect all people. However, he said there were high-risk groups, especially men aged between 18 and 26.
According to Mr. Mahmood, regardless of the type of product players were into, be it slot machines, online gambling, or sports betting, the signs indicating problem gambling were typically the same.
Among the most common behavioral traits were lying to family and loved ones about gambling, covering up losses, and the need to gamble with constantly increasing amounts of money.
Maryhaven Treatment Center Offers Short Online Gambling Screening Test
Just a week ago, Maryhaven Treatment Center launched a short online questionnaire, assessing if people are at risk of developing gambling addiction. Five simple Yes/No questions serve the important purpose of indicating whether people are at risk of problem gambling or are already struggling with it.
Maryhaven’s administrative coordinator further explained that just by looking at someone, one cannot identify gambling addiction. However, the brain of gambling addicts functioned similarly to people struggling with substance abuse, according to the addiction counselor.
As Maryhaven Treatment Center’s Screening for Problem Gambling explains, if people answer affirmatively to any of the five questions, they are advised to schedule a meeting with one of the facility’s experts.
The questionnaire focuses on the past 12 months of people’s gambling habits. The first three questions request Yes/No answers regarding the time, amounts of money, and frequency of gambling. The other two focus on any attempts to cut down, control, or stop gambling, as well as any debts incurred to support one’s gambling addiction.
