The ALLIANCE and University of Glasgow partner on PhD project

This new PhD research will involve people with lived experience of gambling harms in policy and research.

The University of Glasgow is seeking applicants to an exciting new research project. The PhD (this link will take you away from our website), delivered in partnership with the ALLIANCE, will focus on involving people with lived experience of gambling harm in policy and research to reduce those harms.

Gambling represents a diverse range of practices and experiences and there are particular challenges in ensuring this diversity is fully represented by lived experience groups. For example, whilst women do experience harms from gambling, their experiences tend to be bound with heightened senses of shame and stigma, and it is relatively rare to find women with lived experience of gambling harms speaking out on these issues. In addition, other under-represented groups include those from Black and Minority Ethnic groups, despite evidence showing a harm paradox for these groups, with people from BAME communities being less likely to gamble but more likely to experience harm if they do.

This PhD will seek to build a strong framework for broad, representative engagement on gambling harm and will complement the work of the Scotland Reducing Gambling Harm programme.

Dr Heather Wardle, Reader in Sociology at the University of Glasgow said:

“Gambling is a public health issue. People can experience a wide range of harms linked to gambling including: money problems; relationship breakdown; stress and anxiety; and in some extreme circumstances, suicide. For every person that experiences problems with gambling, on average six other people in their lives will be negatively affected. Whilst anyone can be affected at any time, we know that some people and communities are more vulnerable to gambling harm than others.

Within public health more broadly, there is increasing recognition that the shaping of policy and research agendas would benefit greatly from the involvement of people who have lived experience of the issues. Increasingly, people with lived experience of gambling harms are making their voices heard: campaigning for action and creating powerful lobbying groups focusing on achieving policy change. This PhD offers an exciting opportunity for the candidate to contribute to knowledge of how to engage and involve people with lived experience in the policy and research processes.”

Will Griffiths, Programme Manager at the ALLIANCE said:

“It is crucial that people with lived experience are involved in shaping policy and research to reduce gambling harms across Scotland and the UK. This PhD is an exciting opportunity to shape to shape the research agenda on an important topic. We know from our work with the Scottish Lived Experience Forum that people with experience of gambling harm are creating policy recommendations for reducing gambling harm and are keen to be involved in shaping the research agenda. The successful candiate will help support these aspirations to become reality.”

For further details on how apply to this PhD post, please visit the University of Glasgow’s website (this link will take you away from our website).

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