Pathological gambling is an underestimated risk factor for pilfering and suicide in Ghana: a case report

Abstract

Background: Gambling is a game of chance that involves putting money or something of value at risk to gain something better. Currently, in Ghana, sports betting is a growing public health concern. We present a case report of a 29-year-old accountant who presented with a year duration of recurrent suicidal thoughts, two years of depressive symptoms, and a four-year history of pilfering due to obsessive internet gambling. His symptoms were successfully managed at the Psychiatry Department of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Pathological gambling is an underestimated risk factor for theft, depression, and suicide in Ghana. However, most people are unaware that it is a psychiatric condition that is manageable in the hospital. Advocacy, education, and publicity of pathological gambling as a psychiatric condition are needed to create awareness in the general public.