The burden of gambling-related harm to New Zealand communities is two-and-a-half times greater than diabetes, estimates a just released New Zealand study. The Ministry of Health commissioned the Central Queensland University’s (CQU) Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory and Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT) Gambling and Addictions Research Centre to develop a framework for measuring gambling-related harm in New Zealand.
The study estimates that the total burden of harm was greater than common health conditions like diabetes and arthritis and was approaching the level of anxiety and depressive orders. Results suggested that the harm was primarily due to damage to relationships,emotional/psychological distress, disruptions to work/study and financial impacts.
Source: Ministry of Health – click here to download study
