Gambling-related suicide in East African Community countries: evidence from press media reports
Abstract Background Gambling activities and associated mental health problems have become a topic of increased concern globally. Many individuals with a severe gambling disorder have gambling-related suicidality. However, no study has explored gambling-related suicide in East African Community (EAC)...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12306-2 |
| _version_ | 1819280402350604288 |
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| author | Mark Mohan Kaggwa Mohammed A. Mamum Sarah Maria Najjuka Moses Muwanguzi Moses Kule Rahel Nkola Alain Favina Raymond Bernard Kihumuro Gideon Munaru Innocent Arinaitwe Godfrey Zari Rukundo Mark D. Griffiths |
| author_facet | Mark Mohan Kaggwa Mohammed A. Mamum Sarah Maria Najjuka Moses Muwanguzi Moses Kule Rahel Nkola Alain Favina Raymond Bernard Kihumuro Gideon Munaru Innocent Arinaitwe Godfrey Zari Rukundo Mark D. Griffiths |
| author_sort | Mark Mohan Kaggwa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Gambling activities and associated mental health problems have become a topic of increased concern globally. Many individuals with a severe gambling disorder have gambling-related suicidality. However, no study has explored gambling-related suicide in East African Community (EAC) countries. The present study investigated the press media reporting of gambling-related suicide cases from EAC countries. Methods As there is no established suicide database in that region, media reports were utilized to collect gambling-related suicide data. Gambling-related suicide case reports were searched for in EAC countries’ press media websites using Google. After removing duplicates, a total of 18 suicides were found. Results The victims were all males aged 16 to 40 years. The most prevalent reason for the death was university students who had used their university tuition fees for gambling and losing the money (n = 4/17). All the suicide deaths were in Kenya (10/18), Uganda (7/18), and Tanzania (1/18). Betting on soccer was the most common type of gambling reported (n = 11/15), and hanging was the most used mode of suicide (n = 10/16). Conclusions Based on the press media reports, 18 males were identified as having carried out gambling-related suicides. The countries with the most widespread opportunities to gamble had more gambling-related suicides, although the number of suicides was very small. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T00:43:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-75e8d78416584245aca802fd8866bf2f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T00:43:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-75e8d78416584245aca802fd8866bf2f2022-12-21T17:23:52ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582022-01-0122111310.1186/s12889-021-12306-2Gambling-related suicide in East African Community countries: evidence from press media reportsMark Mohan Kaggwa0Mohammed A. Mamum1Sarah Maria Najjuka2Moses Muwanguzi3Moses Kule4Rahel Nkola5Alain Favina6Raymond Bernard Kihumuro7Gideon Munaru8Innocent Arinaitwe9Godfrey Zari Rukundo10Mark D. Griffiths11Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and TechnologyCHINTA Research BangladeshMakerere University, College of Health SciencesFaculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science & TechnologyDepartment of psychiatry, Mbarara Regional Referral HospitalDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and TechnologyFaculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science & TechnologyDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and TechnologyFaculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science & TechnologyDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and TechnologyPsychology Department, Nottingham Trent UniversityAbstract Background Gambling activities and associated mental health problems have become a topic of increased concern globally. Many individuals with a severe gambling disorder have gambling-related suicidality. However, no study has explored gambling-related suicide in East African Community (EAC) countries. The present study investigated the press media reporting of gambling-related suicide cases from EAC countries. Methods As there is no established suicide database in that region, media reports were utilized to collect gambling-related suicide data. Gambling-related suicide case reports were searched for in EAC countries’ press media websites using Google. After removing duplicates, a total of 18 suicides were found. Results The victims were all males aged 16 to 40 years. The most prevalent reason for the death was university students who had used their university tuition fees for gambling and losing the money (n = 4/17). All the suicide deaths were in Kenya (10/18), Uganda (7/18), and Tanzania (1/18). Betting on soccer was the most common type of gambling reported (n = 11/15), and hanging was the most used mode of suicide (n = 10/16). Conclusions Based on the press media reports, 18 males were identified as having carried out gambling-related suicides. The countries with the most widespread opportunities to gamble had more gambling-related suicides, although the number of suicides was very small.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12306-2GamblingBettingUgandaKenyaEast AfricaSuicide |
| spellingShingle | Mark Mohan Kaggwa Mohammed A. Mamum Sarah Maria Najjuka Moses Muwanguzi Moses Kule Rahel Nkola Alain Favina Raymond Bernard Kihumuro Gideon Munaru Innocent Arinaitwe Godfrey Zari Rukundo Mark D. Griffiths Gambling-related suicide in East African Community countries: evidence from press media reports BMC Public Health Gambling Betting Uganda Kenya East Africa Suicide |
| title | Gambling-related suicide in East African Community countries: evidence from press media reports |
| title_full | Gambling-related suicide in East African Community countries: evidence from press media reports |
| title_fullStr | Gambling-related suicide in East African Community countries: evidence from press media reports |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gambling-related suicide in East African Community countries: evidence from press media reports |
| title_short | Gambling-related suicide in East African Community countries: evidence from press media reports |
| title_sort | gambling related suicide in east african community countries evidence from press media reports |
| topic | Gambling Betting Uganda Kenya East Africa Suicide |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12306-2 |
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