Suicide

Overview

Suicide often stems from a large increase in stress. Gamblers who have experienced significant financial loss due to their gambling will have high amounts of stress. Losing time, upset families, problems at work, and other things can also cause the gambler a great deal of stress. If the burden is too heavy, many attempt suicide or commit suicide to escape. Research suggests suicide and suicide attempts occur more frequently among individuals experiencing harms from gambling than among the general public. Problem gamblers are also more likely to attempt suicide than individuals with other types of addictions.

Key Points

It is difficult to know how many gambling-related suicides there are. In suicide cases, coroners record gambling as a potential cause only if it is mentioned in the suicide note or mentioned by loved ones. However, loved ones may not know about a gambling problem, as gamblers often hide the extent of their gambling from their families. Coroners also may not ask the family specifically about gambling. Additionally, family members may experience feelings of guilt and shame related to the suicide and around the involvement of the deceased in gambling, and may therefore withhold information. 

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References

Ledgerwood, D. M., & Petry, N. M. (2004). Gambling and suicidality in treatment-seeking pathological gamblers. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 192(10), 711-714.

Newman, S. C., & Thompson, A. H. (2003). A population-based study of the association between pathological gambling and attempted suicide. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 33(1), 80-87.

Blaszczynski, A., & Farrell, E. (1998). A case series of 44 completed gambling-related suicides. Journal of Gambling Studies, 14(2), 93-109.

Maccallum, F., & Blaszczynski, A. (2003). Pathological gambling and suicidality: An analysis of severity and lethality. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 33(1), 88-98.