First Irish study on suicide and gambling

The first national research to investigate suicide and gambling found that gambling was recorded in the coroner files of 23 (0.6 per cent) deaths by suicide in Ireland over a six-year period. The study was recently published by the Institute of Public Health (IPH), HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention, and Health Research Board and provides novel baseline data on deaths where gambling may have played a role.

An estimated 130,000 adults in Ireland have a gambling problem, and a recent study by IPH and the Tobacco Free Research Institute found that almost a quarter of 16-year-olds in Ireland had gambled for money in the previous year. 

Investigators analysed 3,625 deaths by probable suicide recorded by coroners throughout Ireland between 2015 and 2020. Findings revealed an over-representation of males (91 per cent) and a mean age of 38.7 years in this population.

Associations with mental ill-health and substance use were common, and other risk factors identified included a history of mood disorders, drug and/or alcohol dependency, or previous suicide attempts. Additional risk factors, reported closer to the time of death, included recent depression, anxiety, substance use, inpatient hospital discharge, financial problems, interpersonal problems, and stressful life events.

The authors concluded that the numbers in the study “are likely an underrepresentation and support the need for improvements in data collection”. The study also highlights:

• The need for standardisation and improvements in the detection of gambling in deaths by suicide.
• Advances in gambling operator data sharing practices, such as betting accounts of the deceased, could also aid in identifying gambling products that are higher risk and therefore in need of more stringent regulation.

Lead author of the study, Dr Ciara Reynolds, IPH, said: “This study provides an initial insight into the complex relationship between gambling and deaths by suicide in Ireland. These findings could inform the regulation of gambling and policies on suicide prevention and mental health. We hope this study is a catalyst for further research and increased detection of gambling harms, helping more people to connect early with available supports.”

The Department of Health is currently developing a successor strategy to Ireland’s national strategy to reduce suicide: Connecting for Life 2015-2024. In October 2024, the Gambling Regulation Act was passed into law in Ireland, and allows for the establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), which is anticipated soon. Priorities for the GRAI include commencing a licensing regime for the sector, developing codes of practice, and establishing a National Gambling Exclusion Register. 

Authors