Parental gambling linked to poorer health and educational outcomes for Australian children
New Australian research has found that risky parental gambling is associated with poorer physical health, mental health and educational outcomes among children, highlighting the need to recognize gambling harm as a child health and family well-being issue.
Australian research has revealed that risky parental gambling is linked to poorer physical health, mental health, and educational outcomes for children. The study, conducted by the Australian National University and combining national data with interviews, found that children are uniquely vulnerable to the harms of gambling. Lead researcher Associate Professor Aino Suomi emphasized that children are often overlooked in discussions about gambling harm, despite their strong dependency on their parents and stable family environments.
The study discovered that financial hardship, disruptions in parenting, and strained parent-child relationships exacerbated the negative impacts of parental gambling on children. Positive parenting and strong relationships were identified as protective factors. The research also highlighted how gambling-related harm can be difficult for services to identify, often hidden by stigma and overshadowed by more visible issues.
However, the study found that the Australian Capital Territory's service system already has strengths that can be leveraged to improve responses, such as increasing awareness, incorporating gambling inquiries into existing assessments, and enhancing collaboration between various services.
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