Shame, Stigma and Public Perception: Implications for Prevention and Awareness

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Shame, Stigma and Public PerceptionImplications
for Prevention and Awareness

• Don Feeney
• Research and Planning Director
• Minnesota State Lottery

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Would you feel ashamed or embarrassed if a family
member had
Source 2009 Voice of America Survey
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More likely to develop gambling addiction
Source 2009 Voices of America Survey
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Less likely to develop gambling addiction
Source 2009 Voices of America Survey
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Would you say that addiction to gambling is
primarily ?
Source Ipsos Reid 6/08 survey
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Controlling compulsive gambling is mostly a
matter of willpower
Strongly
Somewhat
68
Somewhat
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Source Ipsos Reid 6/08 survey of 1000 U.S.
respondents
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Services to treat compulsive gambling are
available in my community
Source Ipsos Reid 6/08 survey
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The majority of people who receive treatment
for compulsive gambling achieve life-long
recovery
Source Ipsos Reid June 2008 Survey
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High School Student Gambling Beliefs
Source 4/08 MN DHS survey of 121 10th graders
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What percentage of Minnesota adults have a
gambling addiction?
Source SCSU 4/04
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What are the signs of a gambling problem?
Source Turner et al (2005)
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What would you do?
Source SCSU 2/06
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Who is to blame when someone develops a gambling
addiction?
Source 6/09 Ipsos Voice of America Survey
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Key Findings

• Problem gambling is accepted as a serious issue
• But it is often seen as a moral weakness
• It is commonly stigmatized
• It happens to other people
• The public is skeptical about treatment
  effectiveness
• They are not aware of services
• Problem gambling is poorly understood

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Key messages

• Problem gambling can affect anyone, regardless of
  age or social/ethnic class
• Problem gamblers arent bad people. They are
  good people with a bad problem
• Problem gambling is preventable
• Treatment is available
• Treatment works

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Thank you!
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