Oregon Problem Gambling Helpline

Treatment

PricewaterhouseCoopers, in a problem gambling report for the Pentagon , said there is "a general lack of accessible treatment for gambling addiction." These concerns were echoed in a research paper written by Navy and Marine Corps medical personnel last year, describing a gambling addiction program started in Okinawa in January 2003. Research showed that military personnel and their families are susceptible to gambling addiction. The report stated that in "...environments in which women may feel lonely and alienated - which is frequent in overseas locations where family and established friends are not available and spouses are often deployed - there may be an increased risk of developing a gambling problem." Another concern was the impact of limited confidentiality, which exists in military mental health treatment. "[M]any patients, particularly high-ranking active duty and general schedule employees had significant concerns about their confidentiality." Without confidentiality, many people with gambling addiction may never come forward. www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/glr.2006.10.524

In one study chaplains said that one in three people who come to them for counseling have a gambling problem, but can't tell anyone because they fear dishonorable discharge. www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/19/news/gamble.php