Caps is not prepared to serve bet addicts – 10/02/2024 – Equilíbrio

Psychiatrist Geisinale Dias, 33, sees the impact of online betting on the public health network up close. She has worked for three years at Caps AD (Center for Psychosocial Care for Alcohol and Drugs) in Americana, in the interior of São Paulo, and serves a growing number of people with gaming addiction.

“The majority take a long time to come because they are ashamed of the financial and personal losses”, he states. For Dias, the main barrier to treating gambling disease, a medical condition characterized by compulsion to gamble, at Caps is the lack of resources.

“Investment is needed, especially given the alarming volume of games available.”

Health professionals who work in Caps heard by the Sheet state that the assistance units do not have sufficient structure to serve and treat the growing number of gambling addicts. According to them, there is a lack of specialized professionals and even physical space.

The increase reported by employees is a reflection of the popularization of betting sites in Brazil. In 2018, Law No. 13,756 was approved, which authorized sports betting, known as bets. Since then, other types of games, such as Tiger Fortune, also called the “little tiger game”, have gained popularity.

A survey by the CNC (National Confederation of Commerce) shows that Brazilians spent R$68 billion on online games in the first half of this year alone. Additionally, 1.3 million people defaulted due to betting.

According to doctor Ciro Jorge, 32, who works at Caps da Mooca and the children’s center in Mauá, even before the increase in demand caused by addiction to games, the structure of the centers was no longer adequate to care for other patients. He reports that the explosion of new gamblers has worsened the health situation of young people and adults.

“Patients with pre-existing disorders, such as depression or alcoholism, who joined the games, started to experience worsening of their symptoms”, he states.

Jorge reports that there is a shortage of psychologists and specific medications for impulse control, which further complicates treatment. “We are having difficulty stabilizing these patients again.”

Currently, the Ministry of Health advises those with signs of addiction to seek help at Caps units, where treatment for gambling disease is offered.

For psychologist Mirella Mariani, supervisor of Pro-Amjo (Gaming Outpatient Program) at the Institute of Psychiatry of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine of USP (University of São Paulo), the Caps do not have specialized labor to meet these patients. “Trained mental health professionals, using evidence-based methodology, would be able to carry out the assessment, but not many have this training”, he says.

Mariani says that it would be necessary to implement medical, psychological and social assessment routines, in addition to structured therapies and family involvement. This way, the treatment would be more effective.

Another obstacle raised by experts is the lack of accurate data on gambling disorder in the public system. Currently, the SUS only records the procedures carried out, and the use of the code that records the so-called “pathological gambling” is not mandatory, which makes it difficult to obtain exact information on the number of people affected.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health states that it has expanded Raps (Psychosocial Care Network) to improve care for people with mental disorders, including gaming addiction. The folder states that 117 new Caps were created, totaling 2,953 units.

Raps is made up of an integrated set of different services, such as Caps, to serve people in psychological distress and with needs arising from the harmful use of alcohol, drugs and gaming addiction.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health declares that it participates in an Interministerial Working Group alongside the Ministry of Finance to address pathological gambling.

The Public Health Project is a partnership with Umane, an association that supports public health initiatives.