The United Kingdom Armed Forces Veterans’ Health and Gambling Study

Abstract: International evidence shows that military veterans (i.e., regulars and reserves who have served for at least one day) are at increased risk of gambling-related harm. As well as the individual concerned, these harms impact one’s family, social relationships, finances, health, and society more generally. Gambling problems and the harms they cause are enormously costly both to the individual and to society. Despite this, little is known about rates of gambling, the co-occurrence of mental health difficulties, social costs and healthcare use among United Kingdom Armed Forces veterans. The United Kingdom Armed Forces Veterans’ Health and Gambling Study sought to investigate, for the first time, the nature and extent of gambling experience, potential harm, mental health problems, and socialeconomic costs among a large sample of help-seeking UK veterans. The study addressed three main objectives. The first objective was to understand gambling participation and potential problem severity among UK veterans relative to the general population. The second was to describe the physical and mental health behaviours associated with gambling-related harm. The final objective was to estimate the healthcare costs associated with gambling in veterans.