Online Gambling Addiction In Latin America: A Call for A Mental Health Response

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Mar. 21, 2022: Regulators and operators in Latin America are working hard to make sure that they can help people who have problems with online gambling addiction. While regional and cultural differences may call for different responses.

Many of us might find gambling to be a fun thing to do. But for some people, it can become a big problem that damages their mental health. Anxiety, a desire for money, or meeting new people are all common reasons to play online casinos. But it can quickly get out of hand for some people.

Oceania’s online sites have a long list of the best online casinos NZ that consumers can use when bored and look for things to do as a pastime. People in New Zealand can treat addiction well in some places, but in LatAm, some places don’t have enough facilities to help people.

Gambling Addictions in Hispanic Countries

Gambling has been a part of Hispanic culture and history for a long time. Even though some countries have banned gambling in the past, only state lotteries, horse betting, and poker are now legal. There is a strong desire to add more games to the library, but efforts to fully legalize and commercialize gambling have lost steam.

Although there are some restrictions on gambling, Latin American countries have a high rate of people who play. There was a faster transition from regular to problem gambling for middle-aged women and teenage males who gambled in a population sample.

Many people who gamble and do other risky things are linked to young people. Treatment options are limited, and the public health system isn’t set up to help people who play games. In the early stages of development, people are trying to develop a treatment paradigm that combines psychotherapy and psychiatric comorbidity treatment with ways to improve their quality of life.

Access to Mental Health Facilities

Even though mental health has been given a lot of attention by the medical community, especially since the Caracas Declaration, it’s bad to focus on the big differences in treatment between adults and kids (73.5% and 82.2%, respectively). According to the Pan American Health Organization or PAHO, health care services are spread out, and there isn’t enough coordination between different levels of care.

Mental health professionals and resources are hard to come by. South America spent 2.1% of its total health budget on psychiatric hospitals in 2019. Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean spent only 0.9% of their total health budget on these hospitals in 2019. This shows that mental health does not get the attention it needs.

Epidemiology of Mental Health in Latin America

In a survey done by the PAHO in 2013, the annual prevalence of mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) problems across the Americas ranges from 18.7% to 24.2%.

In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the lifetime prevalence of depressive disorders and alcohol misuse is 14.5% and 12.4%, respectively. More than 90% of suicide victims in LAC had chronic manifestations of these two illnesses. Dementia is also a source of worry since LAC has the greatest 12-month frequency among 60 and above (8.5% ).

How to Get Assistance for a Gambling Addiction

One of the most common triggers for someone to stop gambling is a bad financial situation. If you’re having financial difficulties, don’t hesitate to contact your debt counselor. In Latin America, there are decent experts that you can contact.

If you’re concerned about your mental health due to gambling, see your local doctor. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) may treat gambling addiction like many other addictions.

Mental Health Policies

When it comes to civil society involvement, it’s important to note that most Latin American constitutions that came into effect in the second half of the 1980s gave groups of people the same rights and interests. These constitutions set rules for public health and consumer rights, and other things that make life better.

Mental health is a significant public health issue because of the alarming rise in death, morbidity, and gambling addiction rates and the massive loss of potential years of life and psychological consequences. This is why mental health is so important. Even though there have been many new laws and budgets for mental health services recently, Latin America is still in bad shape because of things like its own culture.