Gambling disorder in the workplace among security officers employed by the National Department of Health : guidelines for occupational social work intervention

Abstract

The study focused on workplace gambling disorders among the National Department of Health security officers who gamble at work. The study sought to explore and describe the effects of gambling disorder on security officers’ well-being. Therefore, a qualitative research approach was conducted, using purposive and snowball sampling, to select fifteen security officers and eight supervisors from whom data was collected. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the help of an interview guide and focus group prompts enabled the researcher to facilitate the focus group discussions. A collective case study design was used to explore and describe gambling disorders in the workplace using a contextual approach to give meaning to the existence of the phenomenon. Furthermore, data analysis was conducted using steps adopted from Niewenhuis (2016:114) and data verification criteria from Schurink et al. (2021:393) to establish the rigour of the study. The findings illuminated that environment plays a pivotal role on the inception of the security officers’ gambling. The environment motivates some of them to start gambling, which they adopt from observing colleagues who gamble and sometimes win. None of the participants sought professional help to deal with workplace gambling because they did not regard it as a problem. The study highlighted that there is an element of cognitive distortion because participants believe that they have control over their gambling habits; therefore, they do not need help. The general systems theory (GST), ecological perspective and life model theories were used as theoretical lenses of this study. The study employed theories to guide, inform and comprehend the study. Hence, the study recommends developing and implementing a gambling policy in the National Department of Health to enforce the employer through occupational social workers and employee health and wellness office to address gambling-related issues. A constant gambling disorder awareness programme is recommended. Subsequently, the study findings were used to develop guidelines for occupational social work intervention to address gambling disorders in the workplace. For future research, it is recommended in this study that gambling disorder as a phenomenon be researched focusing on different participants and using different data collection methods. Such research would provide a picture of the extent of the phenomenon in the workplace, which could assist in addressing the problem appropriately

Ndzavisiso wu kongomisiwile eka mahanyelo yo gembula entirhweni exikarhi ka vaofisiri va vuhlayiseki lava thoriweke hi Ndzawulo ya Rixaka ya Rihanyu. Xikongomelo xa ndzavisiso a ku ri ku valanga na ku hlamusela leswi mahanyelo yo gembula ya khumbhisaka xiswona vuhlayiseki bya vatirhi (vaofisiri va vuhlayiseki) lava gembulaka entirhweni. Endlelo ra ndzavisiso wa xiyimo ri tirhisiwile ku endla ndzavisiso. Sampulu ya xikongomelo na yo ka yi nga ri ya nkumbetelo ti tirhisiwile ku hlawula 15 wa vaofisiri va vuhlayiseki na 8 wa valanguteri laha datara yi nga hlengeletiwa eka vona Tiinthavhiyu to vutisela swivutiso ti endliwile hi ku pfuniwa hi xiletelo xa tiinthavhiyu naswona swiboho swa mitlawa ya nkongomiso swi endlile leswaku mulavisisi a kondletela mikanelo ya mitlawa ya nkongomiso. Dezayini ya nhlanganelo ya xikombisodyondzo yi tirhisiwile ku valanga na ku hlamusela mahanyelo yo gembula entirhweni hi ku tirhisa endlelo ra vuxokoxoko bya xiyimo ku nyika nhlamuselo ya vukona bya xihumelelo. Kuyisaemahlweni, nxopanxopo wa datara wu endliwile hi ku tirhisa switepe leswi tekiweke ku suka eka Nieuwenhuis (2016:114). Hi ku fana, Schurink et al. (2021:393)’s khirayitheriya yo kambisisa datara yi tirhisiwile ku tumbuluxa vuxokoxoko bya dyondzo. Leswi nga kumiwa swi kombisa leswaku mbango wu na xiave xa nkoka eka ku sungula ku hanya mahanyelo yo gembula hi vaofisiri va vuhlayiseki tanihi leswi va hlohleteriwaka ku sungula ku gembula hi ku langutisa vatirhikulobye lava gembulaka na ku hetelela mikarhi yin'wana va wina. Ku yile emahlweni ku kombisiwa eka dyondzo leyi leswaku ku hava na un'we wa vatekaxiave loyi a laveke mpfuno wa xiphurofexini ku va pfuna ku tirhana na ku gembula ka vona, hikuva a va kalanga va tivona tanihi ku va va ri na xiphiqo. Leswi kumiweke eka dyondzo swi komba leswaku ku na mianakanyo ya vutixisi tanihiloko vatekaxiave va tshembha leswaku va na vulawuri ehenhla ka ku gembula ka vona hikwalaho a va lavi mpfuno. Thiyori ya tisisiteme to angarhela, thiyori ya vonelo ra ikholoji na xikombiso xa vutomi swi tirhisiwile tanihi mavonelo ya thiyori ya dyondzo leyi. Tithiyori ti tirhisiwile ku letela, ku tivisa na ku nyika ntwisiso wa dyondzo leyi. Ku bumabumeriwile leswaku pholisi yo gembula yi fanele yi tumbuluxiwa na ku simekiwa eka Ndzawulo ya Rixaka ya Rihanyu leyi nga ta endla leswaku muthori, hi ku tirhisa vakondleteri va le ntirhweni na hofisi ya nongonoko wa rihanyu lerinene ra vatirhi, a ololoxa timhaka leti fambelanaka na ku gembula Xin'wana xibumabumelo i ku va na minongonoko ya ndzemukiso wa mahanyelo yo gembula leyi nga ta endliwa nkarhi na nkarhi. Leswi kumiweke swa dyondzo swi tirhisiwile ku tumbuluxa swiletelo swa nghenenelo wa vukondleteri bya le ntirhweni ku ololoxa mahanyelo yo gembula entirhweni. Eka ndzavisiso wa nkarhi lowutaka, ku ringanyetiwa leswaku mahanyelo yo gembula tanihi xihumelelo ya fanele ku lavisisiwa hi ku kongomisa eka vatekaxiave vo hambanahambana na ku tirhisa maendlelo yo hambana yo hlengeleta datara eka dyondzo leyi. Ndzavisiso walowo wu ta nyika xifaniso xa mpimo wa xihumelelo lexi entirhweni, lexi nga ta pfuna eka ku lulamisa xiphiqo hi ndlela leyi faneleke.