Family members and friends of those who gamble often have higher rates of mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, higher rates of alcohol use and lower quality of life. The level of harm experienced depends on how emotionally or financially connected you are to the person who gambles and the seriousness of the gambling.

There are two main psychological approaches for affected family members and friends which include:

Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT)

This approach is based on Cognitive -Behavioural Therapy to help improve your own wellbeing and encourage the person who gambles to reduce their gambling and seek treatment.

5-Step method

This approach supports you to manage gambling harms, gain confidence, build coping skills, find social support, and access additional resources.

Other approaches include training to develop better coping strategies to reduce emotional distress, online Cognitive -Behavioural Therapy -based self-help treatments and couple-based treatments.

Interested to know more?

The Australian Psychological Society has information on psychological care for people experiencing gambling harm, including affected family members and friends.