150 thousand people in Estonia consider themselves to be gamblers, 30 thousand of them describe themselves as addicted to gambling – these are the results of a social research held in 2006. Even on their own these figures speak of how urgent is the problem of gambling addiction in Estonia.
An idea to create a specialized establishment capable to provide help to the gambling addicted people appeared within a group of specialists consisting of psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists who used to encounter such problem among their clients.
Thus in the summer of 2004 the Research Institute of psychology and therapy of reckless gambling addiction has been officially approved and registered.
The Institute’s main activities are carried out into three directions:
First one is the rehabilitation of gambling addicted people and psychological help to their families.
Theoretical and practical basis for rehabilitation is built upon Institute’s scientific researches. Within the frame of this direction the Institute strives towards exchange, unification and addition of its own experience and experience of scientists from other organizations, which are engaged in research over beginning and development of reckless addiction in Europe, Russia and USA.
The Institute carries out both scientific and prophylactic work on preventing gambling addiction among adults and teenagers by publishing scientific and scientific/popular works of the Institute’s employees and other scientists concerning the matters of reasons for appearance, peculiarities, ways to cure the reckless gambling addiction, relations within the gambler’s families as well as many other problems attendant to the reckless gambling behavior.
Besides that the Institute develops stand-alone programs on preventing gambling addiction among teenagers and children.
In his work the Institute cooperates with different governmental and public organizations. And one of the first experiences of such cooperation has become a successful one.
In the beginning of 2005 the Institute has received the support from the State of Estonia and European Union within the frame of the European Social Fund’s program EQUAL. In order to get help in the Institute only one condition is necessary – the gambler’s desire to get rid of his personal addiction and readiness for mutual co-operation.
