Gaming and Gambling Disorders among Elderly and Challengesfor Public Health Policy and Social Work
Gaming and Gambling Disorders among Elderly and Challengesfor Public Health Policy and Social Work

Summary/Abstract: Gaming and gambling disorders are behaviours which engage young and older persons and affect both women and men. The aim of this paper was to describe gaming and gambling disorders among the elderly and discuss the dimensions of digital, traditional and alternative life on the internet. The social impact and consequences of gaming and gambling disorders, and the arising new challenges for social work, were identified. The current review sought to conduct an overview of literature relating to gaming and gambling disorders connected to the elderly, defined as persons aged 60+. The findings are based on critical review of descriptive and policy literature on gaming and gambling disorders, and of the relevant research. Additionally, the findings support the implementation of public health policies to prevent problem gambling among the elderly. The contribution of this research is that it provides an overview of a broad and intercultural resource for the development of public health policy and improvement of the training of social workers. Social work needs to develop a strategy to educate professional support workers in the agency on the role of the social workers’ scope of practice. Further research focusing on the education of social workers working with elderly, and the development of tools for identifying the motivation and treating the gaming and gambling problem, is recommended.

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