Study reveals people with gambling disorder more likely to die by suicide

People diagnosed with a gambling disorder are significantly more likely to die by suicide, according to new research led by Swansea University – marking a major step forward in understanding gambling-related harm.

Published in BJPsych Open, this is the first UK study to use routinely collected NHS data to identify factors that may predict suicide among people with gambling problems.

Using anonymous healthcare records from Wales covering 30 years (1993–2023) via the SAIL Databank, researchers compared 92 people with a gambling diagnosis who died by suicide to 2,990 who died from other causes. They examined GP records, hospital admissions, outpatient appointments, and death records.

Lead author Professor Simon Dymond, Director of the Gambling Research, Education and Treatment (GREAT) Centre at Swansea University, said: “Almost half of adults worldwide report gambling activity in the past year, and gambling-related harm is a growing global health concern. Yet, until now, no study has examined the association between gambling diagnoses and mental health service use in the months preceding death by suicide.

“Our study found that those with a gambling diagnosis who died by suicide had more recent contact with mental health services overall, and particularly through hospital admissions rather than routine GP or outpatient appointments, compared to people without a diagnosis. This suggests there may be missed opportunities for earlier support and intervention.

“A gambling diagnosis was a stronger predictor of suicide than other mental health conditions, such as depression, schizophrenia or alcohol use – indicating gambling disorder poses a unique risk. Importantly, help-seeking rates for gambling are persistently low and now everyone who needs help gets a diagnosis, so the patterns we observed in the study are a likely underestimate of the scale of the harm caused by gambling and its association with suicide.”

The research team, which includes collaborators from King’s College London and Gambling Harm UK, hopes the findings will help healthcare professionals and policymakers develop better systems for identifying and supporting those at risk.

Professor Dymond added: “Our findings show that suicide risk can be identified through linked healthcare records, creating opportunities for earlier intervention. Improved screening and recording of gambling-related harm in mental health settings, with appropriate signposting to NHS sources of help and support, could save lives.”