“Gamblefree Day,” A Community Project to Minimise Harm Caused by Gambling Disorder in New Zealand Chinese and Korean Communities: Formative Evaluation and Lessons Learnt

Abstract

Gambling disorder is one of the mental health issues concerning the New Zealand Asian migrant com- munity. This article describes how Asian problem gam- bling services used ''Gamblefree Day'' (GFD) as a health promotion campaign to raise awareness of gambling harm in New Zealand Chinese and Korean communities. The nationwide GFD health promotion project consisted of an action group, song-writing competition, and discount res- taurant dining, as well as the recruitment and training of volunteers specifically for the campaign. The formative evaluation of the campaign adopted a mixed method approach collecting survey data and qualitative feedback from campaign participants and volunteers over a period of three years. Formative evaluation focusing on Auckland was conducted to collect feedback from restaurant owners, volunteers, and participants of various events. Participants in the events reported increased understanding about problem gambling and the support services available in the communities. The formative evaluation of this project highlighted the concerns about excessive gambling within the Chinese and Korean populations in New Zealand. Study outcomes would encourage health promotion prac- titioners to systematically investigate changes over time in awareness of gambling problems and help seeking behav- iors such as accessing counseling services among members of ethnic communities by using standardized measures. There is a dearth of theoretical or empirical literature addressing best practice for promoting the mental health of ethnic minority groups. Therefore, this paper sheds light on lessons learnt in designing culturally responsive interven- tions for Asian or similar migrant populations.