Principal Investigator: Professor Sam Chamberlain, Professor of Psychiatry at University of Soutampton & Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Co-investigators: Professor David Baldwin, University of Southampton, Professor Jon Grant, University of Chicago, Dr Konstantinos Ioannidis, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Mat King, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Partners: University of Southampton & Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

Summary

Gambling disorder is a growing problem amongst adult gamblers.

Although previous research has identified some of the harms associated with gambling, few studies have documented how these harms in a large, UK clinical sample. Furthermore, little is known regarding the evolution of factors that predict treatment success dropout or relapse and how individual vulnerabilities interact with environmental risk. This research aims to fill this gap, by analysing a large existing dataset of treatment seeking gamblers. The service has a purpose to provide clinical excellence, while adopting innovative methods (digital pre-assessment, digital monitoring, virtual individual and group therapies etc.) in the clinical setting and to spearhead cutting-edge research which will inform and enhance clinical practice locally, nationally, and globally. The long-term goal of the service is to establish a world-renowned centre that minimises gambling harms through comprehensive evidence-based treatments, research, outreach, and prevention (including early interventions). The clinical focus of the Southern Gambling Service (SGS) is on minimising gambling harms, which involves treating disordered gambling using evidence-based approaches, as well as providing support aimed to promote or replenish recovery capital in individuals (e.g. detecting comorbidities and signposting individuals to other sources of support, enhance social connectedness, promote liaison with sources of financial, social and wellbeing support, setting out the scaffolding of follow up arrangements).