Centre in the news

Problem Gambling Webinar

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) - Office of Problem Gambling Treatment and Prevention is sponsoring a webinar titled Youth Gambling: From Research to Practice presented by Rina Gupta Ph.D.

Date:

Friday, June 15, 2012 from 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., central time

Course Description:

An in-depth 90 minute session covering the topic of youth gambling. Research spanning the last decade as well as the most recent trends and findings will be discussed.The implications for prevention and treatment will also be presented.

Objectives:

• To provide a deeper understanding of the issues and theory related to underage gambling.
• To develop a working knowledge of youth gambling prevention objectives and practices
• To provide knowledge about the different components critical to the treatment of youth experiencing a gambling problem

Who Should Attend:

Mental health professionals, researchers, health care professionals, educators, prevention specialists and treatment providers interested in youth gambling issues.

For More Information:

https://www.trainingresources.org/Default.aspx

New International Collaborations

Romanian Association for the Study of Gambling

The Centre has recently partnered with psychologist Izabela Ramona Todirita and Associate Professor Viorel Lupu of the Romanian Association for the Study of Gambling (RASG) to launch a study assessing Romanian teachers’ perceptions of adolescent risk-taking behaviours including gambling-related issues.  This online study mirrors one our Centre conducted in 2010-11 involving Canadian teachers in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. By replicating the study in Romania, we hope to acquire comparative data enabling us to understand some international trends in teacher perceptions regarding adolescent risk-taking behaviours.  These findings will enable us to develop more effective prevention programs and products. We look forward to a productive partnership with the RASG. For more information about the Romanian Association for the Study of Gambling refer to www.rasgcluj.org.

Research Clinic on Gambling Disorders in Denmark

A new collaborative partnership between our Centre and the Research Clinic on Gambling Disorders (RCGD) in Denmark has been formed to determine the risk factors associated with youth problem gambling in Denmark. The collaboration involves the use of prevention materials developed by the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors and information on risk-factors to determine the social consequences of problem gambling in youth and adolescents. This beneficial partnership will further advance our understanding of youth gambling and other adolescent risk-taking behaviors. More information about the Research Clinic of Gambling Disorders can be found at www.fkfl.dk.

Annual Holiday Campaign Planning Underway

Preparations for the 2012 Holiday Campaign are well underway. The annual Holiday Campaign, a collaborative initiative of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University and the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), highlights the risks of giving lottery tickets and scratch cards as holiday gifts to minors.

Support for the campaign by North American and international lottery corporations has grown incrementally every year since the program inception. In 2011, a record number of lottery corporations participated in the campaign which is also endorsed by NASPL's Responsible Gaming Subcommittee. We look forward to even greater support for the 2012 campaign!

Stayed tuned for more news about the campaign.

Study for Mental Health Professionals

The Centre has launched an online study of Canadian mental health professionals (psychologists, psychoeducators) designed to complement recent large national parent and teacher studies which assessed their attitudes toward issues facing young people today (including gambling, alcohol and drugs and other high-risk behaviors). There are 2 brief surveys - one survey is aimed at mental health professionals who deal primarily with children/adolescents and the other is meant for mental health professionals who deal primarily with adults. The surveys are available in English and French. For more information, contact Lynette Gilbeau at 514-398-4438.

New Collaborative Research Team

The Centre is pleased to announce the development of a new collaborative research team comprised of Dr. Michael Wohl of Carelton University and the Centre’s Drs. Rina Gupta and Jeffrey Derevensky. The purpose of this inter-provincial collaboration is to bring together two areas of expertise in the development of much needed gambling prevention materials for youth. Dr. Wohl’s work in the promotion of responsible gambling (e.g., pop-up messages and education-based animation) is fundamental to the team’s objectives. Drs. Derevensky and Gupta bring significant expertise on prevention of gambling issues in youth. Together, this team aims to establish prevention goals and objectives pertinent to youth, and, as a first step, develop a detailed research and dissemination plan to assess online gambling among youth. The team's overarching research program is the development of harm minimization strategies through the promotion of responsible gambling practices among young people.

Team Grant Awards

This emerging team was recently awarded the following OPGRC grants:

• National and International Engagement Grant to prioritize a program of research addressing online gambling.
• Research Seed Grant to conduct focus groups of college-age students looking at the role of social media platforms and their role in gambling initiation and maintenance. This seed grant will help articulate further areas in need of exploration and we anticipate submitting to OPGRC for a Standard Award in Year 1. The goal is to eventually develop a state of the art empirically driven prevention tool for college students.

Literature Review Project

The Centre has been awarded funding by Mise Sur Toi to perform an extensive literature review concerning current and previously implemented initiatives for addictive behaviors aimed at college aged students. This is the initial phase of a larger project addressing this population.

Bureau of Drug and Alcohol of Pennsylvania (BDAP) Collaboration

The centre is collaborating in a multi-year project with the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol of Pennsylvania (BDAP) to provide youth gambling prevention materials and evaluation measures to organizations within the state of Pennsylvania

Centre awarded the 2011 NCPG Jim Wuelfing Award for Prevention

At the 2011 NCPG Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, our Centre was awarded the Jim Wuelfing Award for Prevention. This award recognizes outstanding annual achievement in advocacy, development, integration, outreach and training in the area of problem gambling prevention. We are deeply honoured to receive this award.

Post Doctoral Position Available

An immediate opening for a post-doctoral fellow focused upon studying youth risk-taking behaviors is available. A doctorate degree in developmental, clinical, school/applied, social, experimental or health psychology, addictions research, or related field is required. Fluency in French is an asset. An understanding of addictions is beneficial but not required. The candidate must have skills in statistical analyses and research methodology, and experience in using SPSS and/or SAS for data analyses. The successful candidate should be highly motivated, have strong library research skills, experience in academic writing, strong analytic skills, and be able to conduct field-based research projects independently. We are searching for someone who is independent, yet who enjoys working in a collaborative environment. We are offering either a one-year or two-year position. Salary is commensurate with other post-doctoral positions. The successful candidate will work in the area of youth risk-taking behaviors and will become an active member of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors. He/she will be responsible to the two co-directors of the centre and will work closely with the research faculty, other post-doctoral candidates and graduate students. Responsibilities will include developing and conducting field-based research studies, analysis of data, manuscript writing, assistance with grant writing, and literature searches. The candidate will also contribute toward the development, production, and distribution of a quarterly publication. Opportunity to present at national and international conferences is offered and the candidate is expected to publish in peer reviewed journals.

Please e-mail or mail letter of application, curriculum vitae and three reference letters to:
Dr. Jeffrey Derevensky or Dr. Rina Gupta
School/Applied Child Psychology
McGill University
3724 McTavish Street
Montreal, Quebec H3A 1Y2
Tel. 514-398-4249
Fax: 514-398-3401
E-mail: Jeffrey.Derevensky@mcgill.ca

Centre Fundraising Campaign in Full Swing

The Centre's ongoing fundraising campaign continues to grow with the support of corporate and private sponsors. Due to restricted government infrastructure funding, we have initiated a fundraising campaign to help us maintain our ability to develop and deploy empirically-based prevention and harm-minimization programs. The Centre is housed on McGill University's main campus in the heart of Montreal, Canada. McGill University is a public university and recognized charitable organization Donations can be made to:

The International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors
McGill University
3724 McTavish Street
Montreal, Quebec H3A 1Y2

Official letters of contributions and tax receipts will be forwarded.