SynthesisAddiction (Abingdon, England)2022
Global prevalence of help-seeking for problem gambling: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 58 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
58 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 106 citations in OpenAlex.
- Structural gaps in referral and treatment pathways for gambling-related harm: a systematic review of health system responses using the antecedents-decision-outcomes framework.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Neurophysiological Correlates of Near-Wins in Gambling: A Systematic Literature Review.Journal of gambling studies · 2025Pooled it
- Prevalence of Problem Gambling: A Meta-analysis of Recent Empirical Research (2016-2022).Journal of gambling studies · 2023Pooled it
- Global prevalence of help-seeking for problem gambling: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2022Pooled it
- Evaluating the Efficacy of Electronic Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (e-SBIRT) for Gambling: An Online Pilot Randomised Trial.Journal of clinical psychology · 2026Trial
- Problem Gambling and its Relation to Delayed Reward Discounting: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of gambling studies · 2026Trial
- Reducing gambling harm through digital self-help intervention: a pilot study in mild to moderate gambling disorder.Harm reduction journal · 2026Trial
- Trial
- GamblingLess: In-The-Moment: a mixed-methods acceptability and engagement evaluation of a gambling just-in-time adaptive intervention.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2025Trial
- Acceptability of the content and functionality of a just-in-time adaptive intervention for gambling problems: a mixed-methods evaluation of gambling habit hacker.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2025Trial
- Help and support for gambling harm among United Kingdom Armed Forces personnel: A mixed-methods study.Journal of health services research & policy · 2026Article
- Associations of neurodevelopmental traits and adverse childhood experiences with problem gambling: A nationwide cross-sectional study.PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2026Article
- Validation of the Gambling Problem Recognition Scale.Journal of gambling studies · 2026Article
- Acceptability of Internet-Based Therapy: Considerations Expressed by Individuals Struggling with Gambling.Nordisk alkohol- & narkotikatidskrift : NAT · 2026Article
- Occurrence and trajectories of psychiatric disorders in adults with gambling disorder: a longitudinal register-based study of the Finnish population.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Article
- Clinical Outcomes and Predictors of Improvement With Virtual Behavioral Health Care for Gambling Disorder: Retrospective Cohort Study.JMIR mental health · 2026Article
- Suicidal thoughts, problem gambling severity and utilisation of health care and social services: A population-based study in Finland.Addictive behaviors reports · 2026Article
- Gambling help seeking and self-management in New Zealand and Australia: a cross-sectional survey with quota sampling of priority populations.Harm reduction journal · 2026Article
- Profiles of service use among patients with gambling disorders.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2026Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsMultiple studies have examined barriers and facilitators to help-seeking, but the prevalence of help-seeking for problem gambling (PG) is not well established. We aimed to estimate the international prevalence of help-seeking for PG among the general population and among subgroups of people at risk for PG (i.e. low-risk, moderate-risk and PG).
methodsSystematic search of grey literature (through gambling repositories, gambling research institutes and Google) and peer-reviewed literature (through ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus) for gambling prevalence studies that reported on help-seeking for PG. This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses. Studies used representative sampling methods to determine the prevalence of gambling participation and data collection 2010 onward. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. The main outcome was population prevalence of help-seeking for PG. Help-seeking was defined as any intentional action to change gambling behaviours, including professional services (inclusive of in-person or distance help), non-professional help (e.g. from family and friends) and self-help. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explain variability in help-seeking prevalence estimates.
resultsMeasurement of help-seeking was inconsistent across included studies and, overall, there was high risk of bias. We estimated a general population help-seeking prevalence for PG of 0.23% (95% CI, 0.16-0.33). Prevalence estimates were significantly higher in studies assessing lifetime (0.50%; 95% CI, 0.35-0.71) compared with current help-seeking (0.14%; 95% CI, 0.10-0.20, P < 0.001), but there was no evidence of difference in prevalence estimates by gambling participation, region, type of help-seeking, or year of data collection. Compared with people with low-risk gambling (0.27%; 95% CI, 0.07%-1.04%), prevalence estimates were significantly higher in those with moderate-risk (3.73%; 95% CI, 2.07%-6.63%) and problem gambling (20.63%; 95% CI, 12.89%-31.35%, P < 0.001).
conclusionsOne in 25 moderate-risk gamblers and 1 in 5 people with problem gambling have sought help for problems related to their gambling.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.