Objectives

Suicide rates have been steadily increasing over the past decade, and in the United States alone there were a reported 132 people who died by suicide in 2018 alone. As a result, suicidality has become more and more recognized as a critical public health issue that requires specific attention. Some states now require specific suicide trainings for all licensed professionals each certification cycle (e.g., State of Missouri). Within a gambling population, suicide attempts are higher when compared to general population, and are exponentially higher within sub-populations of gamblers such as Veterans, and individuals with co-occurring mental health disparities. Research on suicidality, ideation, and attempts within individuals with gambling disorders tend to reliably show higher prevalence rates. In this way, the current webinar will highlight foundational knowledge and concepts related to quality assessment and intervention strategies for suicidality generally speaking, and how to tailor it for gambling clients. The webinar will discuss gambling specific risk factors that may result in higher suicidal ideation and/or attempts for gamblers, and will highlight surveys/screening assessments clinicians can consider using in their practice immediately. Finally, where to start and how to ethically provide safe treatments for clients will be discussed.