Problem gambling is an important public health issue affecting many spheres of the gambling individual's life, including mental health, finances, and family. The family is a topic that has been given little attention in problem gambling research. After a comprehensive search of the literature, this review identified and analyzed 30 empirical studies conducted between 1998 and 2013 examining the effects of problem gambling on families, the impact of family involvement in problem gambling treatment, or both. The literature shows that (a) problem gambling has several adverse effects on individuals, families, and family functioning, and (b) family involvement in problem gambling treatment is linked with better treatment outcomes and improved individual and family functioning. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.
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Kourgiantakis et al. (2013) studied this question.
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