TOPLINE:

Among 2800 help seekers for gambling-related problems in Finland, women showed higher rates of suicidal ideation than men (25.5% vs 16.4%), with gambling-related debts and the lack of social support emerging as significant risk factors for both sexes. At-risk alcohol use increased the risk for suicidal ideation only in women, highlighting the need for sex-specific prevention strategies.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers analysed data from 2800 help seekers (mean age, 33.7 years; SD, 9.8 years; 1746 men and 1054 women) who enrolled in an online help service for gambling-related problems in Finland during 2019-2024.
• The primary outcome was suicidal ideation, assessed using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) focusing on the "will to live" over the past 3 days.
• The severity of problem gambling was evaluated using the National Opinion Research Center Diagnostic Screen for Gambling Problems (NODS) tool, with 95.6% of participants meeting the criteria for gambling disorder (mean NODS score, 7.91; SD, 1.80). Gambling-related debt was reported by 79.4% of participants in the median debt value (€10,000-19,999) category.
• At‑risk alcohol use was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test‑Consumption (AUDIT‑C); 68.2% of participants met the at‑risk threshold (AUDIT‑C score ≥ 5).
• Multivariate logistic regression analysed associations between suicidal ideation and risk factors separately for men and women.

TAKEAWAY:

• Suicidal ideation was reported by 19.8% of participants overall, with a significantly higher prevalence among women than among men (25.5% vs 16.4%).
• Gambling-related debts significantly increased the risk for suicidal ideation in both women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.74; P = .02) and men (aOR, 1.81; P = .00).
• At-risk alcohol use was significantly associated with suicidal ideation in women (aOR, 1.45; P = .02) but not in men (P = .41).
• Social support was reported by fewer women than men (65% vs 75.3%). The lack of social support was strongly associated with suicidal ideation in both sexes, but more so in men (aOR, 2.63; P < .001).

IN PRACTICE:

"Our results suggest that alcohol consumption increases the risk of gambling-related suicidal ideation amongst women, but not men. Indebtedness and lack of social support were risk factors for gambling-related suicidal ideation amongst both genders," the authors wrote.

"To effectively prevent gambling harm in societies, policy action is needed to reduce and prevent financial harm from gambling that can contribute to increased suicidality," they added.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Virve Marionneau, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. It was published online on January 13, 2026, in Addictive Behaviors.

LIMITATIONS:

This study was limited by its focus on help seekers in Finland, who may not be representative of the broader population affected by gambling-related problems. The MADRS measured only suicidal ideation over a 3-day period rather than assessing lifetime or past-year prevalence. Additionally, the analysis was limited to the most prevalent gambling products, potentially missing associations with other gambling forms or combinations.

DISCLOSURES:

The authors of this study were funded by the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health through provisions of the Finnish Lotteries Act. Additional funding was provided by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.