Harm reduction for the prevention of youth gambling problems: lessons learned from adolescent high-risk behavior prevention programs.

Harm reduction for the prevention of youth gambling problems: Lessons learned from adolescent high-risk behavior prevention programs

L.M. Dickson, J.L. Derevensky & R. Gupta, Journal of Adolescent Research, v.19, n.2, 2004, pp.233-63.

Although the popularity of the harm reduction approach is growing in regard to alcohol and substance abuse, it has rarely been applied to youth problem gambling. First, the authors used a universal, selective and indicative prevention framework to 'present current prevention initiatives that emerged from the harm reduction health paradigm for adolescent substance and alcohol abuse'. Then they chose the risk-protective factor model 'as a conceptual basis for designing youth problem gambling harm reduction prevention programs' (HRPPs). Effective HRPPs buffer risk factors and enhance protective factors for given problems, thereby altering negative life trajectories and enhancing resiliency. HRPPs for youth problem gambling need to delay the onset of gambling and both foster the value of, and teach, responsible gambling to youth. In addition, HRPPs need to foster the value of responsible health in general. As research has indicated the necessity of targeting risk and protective factors in multiple domains, so there has been a move toward collaboration between families, schools, social services and communities, which should make the design and implementation of effective HRPPs more likely.