Stigma Stand Down: A Public Health Response to Military Gambling

July 23, 20262:00pm - 3:15pm
Stigma Stand Down: A Public Health Response to Military Gambling

Stigma Stand Down (SSD) introduces the first comprehensive public health campaign targeting military gambling stigma through coordinated action across multiple levels of the socio-ecological model. Drawing on emerging evidence about emotional suppression and institutional barriers in military culture, the session highlights why stigma remains a central obstacle to prevention and help-seeking. Attendees will learn how SSD integrates research, education, treatment linkage, and targeted communication to create practical, scalable tools for diverse stakeholders. This session presents an adaptable, multi-level framework for reducing gambling-related stigma and demonstrates how coordinated public health strategies can drive meaningful behavior change.

Learning Objectives

  • Describe how stigma operates as a public health barrier that limits prevention, screening, and help-seeking in military communities affected by gambling disorder.
  • Describe how Stigma Stand Down applies a multi-level public health strategy to reduce gambling stigma across key socio-ecological levels and inform adaptation for other populations.

Session Track

  • Prevention

Speaker