35th AM (2024) - Poster Session-Gambling and Gambling Problems in the Latinx Community Results from Focus Groups with Promotores

Gambling and Gambling Problems in the Latinx Community Results from Focus Groups with Promotores

Pdf Summary

The California Gambling Education and Treatment Services (CalGETS) program, tasked with providing problem-gambling psychotherapy to eligible residents, faces low participation from the Latinx community, despite this demographic constituting a significant portion of California's population. In collaboration with Vision y Compromiso and UCLA Gambling Studies Program (UGSP), a project was initiated using community health workers, "promotores/as," to address this disparity. Focus groups conducted with 43 promotores/as revealed cultural and societal barriers impacting the Latinx community's engagement with gambling services.<br /><br />Key insights from the focus groups highlighted "machismo" as a significant barrier, with many Latinx males reluctant to seek help due to cultural stigma around vulnerability. Similarly, findings suggest that youth and seniors are particularly vulnerable to gambling, influenced by social media (youth) and the search for positive emotions (seniors). Immigration and acculturation factors also surfaced, suggesting that gambling is more prevalent in the U.S., and that children of immigrants may be more prone to gambling, partly due to diminished fear of deportation compared to their undocumented family members.<br /><br />Promotores/as, considered trusted figures within their communities, identified a lack of discourse on problem gambling and noted its severe consequences, such as family instability, depression, and anxiety. Despite shared experiences with non-Latinx communities—such as stigma and family impacts—the Latinx community also perceives certain gambling activities differently, influenced by nativity and immigration status.<br /><br />This study highlights the need for culturally sensitive interventions within CalGETS to increase service utilization among the Latinx population. It underscores the importance of tailoring outreach and treatment strategies to accommodate unique cultural perceptions and barriers, potentially serving as a model for other gambling treatment programs nationwide.

Keywords

CalGETS

Latinx community

problem gambling

cultural barriers

machismo

promotores/as

UCLA Gambling Studies Program

immigration factors

culturally sensitive interventions

community health workers

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