marceloburlonGambling is a popular pastime for many people, but it can have negative effects on one’s health. Some of these negative effects include stress, anxiety and an increased risk of addiction. However, there are also a number of positive effects of gambling, such as socializing with friends, mental development and skill improvement. However, it is important to remember that any form of gambling should be done in moderation.
Gambling involves placing a bet on an outcome that is based on chance. For example, you might bet on a certain football team winning a game, or buy a scratchcard that has a random result. The bet is made with money or other materials that have a value, such as marbles or collectible game pieces (such as small discs or trading cards). This activity can be conducted in a variety of ways, including online and in land-based casinos.
Research has shown that gambling can have negative economic, labor and health impacts on gamblers. These impacts are usually observed at the individual, interpersonal, and community/society levels. Some of these impacts are directly related to the gambler, while others affect those around them. For instance, the debt and financial strain caused by gambling can negatively impact family members. It can also lead to other problems such as escalating into bankruptcy and homelessness.
While some studies have identified these costs, few have examined the positive aspects of gambling. Moreover, most of these studies have ignored the nonmonetary impacts that are difficult to measure and calculate. These include the psychological and social harms, which are not easily quantifiable. This is an important gap in the literature, and it is imperative that researchers adopt a comprehensive approach to understanding the consequences of gambling.
In addition, a growing role exists for the evaluation of patients’ gambling behaviors in primary care settings. However, there are a number of barriers to the implementation of this evaluation, which include stigma, resistance and the lack of guidelines for the diagnosis of pathological gambling.
To address these barriers, the objective of this article is to describe the positive and negative effects of gambling from a public health perspective, and identify gaps in the current literature. To accomplish this, a systematic literature review of articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 1966 and 2001 was performed. The search was based on the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms “gambling” and “health.” Articles were included if they met the following criteria:
