Gambling harm is a growing public health challenge. Many people experience problems due to gambling but receive insufficient help. This is because the support offered is unknown, and prevention often does not meet people's actual needs. Professionals also face barriers in recognizing and addressing gambling problems. Simultaneously, there is insufficient knowledge about effective local approaches for early detection of gambling problems.
This PhD research contributes to a prevention system that is accessible, effective, and tailored to the needs of various groups of gamblers and professionals.
What you will do. Within a research institute, two research projects will be carried out, aimed at preventing and reducing gambling-related harm.
PhD Track 1 Prevention.
- Develop, optimize, and evaluate preventive interventions, such as a gambling break.
- Conduct a longitudinal cohort study on gambling behavior, help-seeking behavior, reach, and impact of preventive interventions.
- Implement and share knowledge to realize a coherent, sustainable, and accessible prevention offering.
PhD Track 2 Early Detection.
- Identify success factors and barriers of the local approach for early detection of gambling-related harm and collaboration between key local partners (process evaluation).
- Investigate whether a local approach in five pilot municipalities leads to more and earlier detection of gambling problems and more referrals to appropriate help, than in comparable control municipalities (effect study).
- Validate one or more screening instruments for problematic gambling behavior and gambling-related harm that are acceptable and usable for professionals in various sectors (development and validation study).
Your role.
- Combine scientific depth with societal relevance.
- Set up and execute the sub-studies within the project.
- Translate research findings into scientific publications, which will ultimately form a dissertation.
- Contribute to knowledge dissemination and present research results at national and international conferences.
- Contribute to teaching, for example, by conducting working groups/lectures or grading.
Specific tasks PhD Track 1.
- Set up a longitudinal cohort study using questionnaires to gain insight into gambling behavior, help-seeking behavior, and the acceptance, use, and effectiveness of preventive interventions among nascent gamblers to those experiencing problems due to gambling.
- Actively contribute to the further development of preventive interventions and qualitative sub-studies within the project.
- Work one day a week at a specialized institute to shape collaboration with gambling experts there.
Specific tasks PhD Track 2.
- Investigate success factors and barriers of the local approach for early detection of gambling-related harm using qualitative methods.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of this approach in pilot and control municipalities using a mixed-methods approach.
- Conduct a literature review to find the best screening instrument(s) for easily detecting risky gambling behavior, usable in multiple contexts, which will be tested using a mixed-method design.
Profile
- Completed university degree in social sciences, health sciences, psychology, or a related discipline.
- Strong analytical skills, proactive, and results-oriented.
- Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
- Ability to maintain an overview, structure complex projects, and possess excellent organizational skills.
- Entrepreneurial, thinks in possibilities, stress-resistant, and easily establishes contact with partners.
- Affinity with prevention and/or addiction issues and an intrinsic drive to make a real impact.
- Experience in writing scientific publications or professional articles is a plus.
- Excellent command of both Dutch and English, written and spoken.
Specific profile PhD Track 1.
- Experience with quantitative research methods and statistical analyses, and an interest in further developing these skills.
- Experience with longitudinal or cohort research, recruiting hard-to-reach target groups, and working in R is a plus.
Specific profile PhD Track 2.
- Experience with both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
- Easily collaborates with various practical partners.
- Experience with implementation and effect research, process evaluations, or validation studies is a plus.
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