Over 90 percent of surveyed Filipino women had been exposed to potentially traumatic events that were linked to both gambling disorder and alcohol misuse, a recent study conducted by University of Macau(UM) scholars found.

In the study titled ‘The association between posttraumatic disorder symptoms and addictive behaviours in Macao within a sample of female Filipino migrant workers: a network analysis’, the public university’s scholars said that migrant workers of Filipino origin in Macau appear to be vulnerable to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and addictive behaviours due to traumatic histories, post-migration stressors, and easy access to alcohol and gambling venues.

Around 43 per cent of respondents reported that they had gone through the disastrous aftermath of the sudden death of a loved one back home, which accounted for 24.7 per cent of the total, while 7.4 per cent struggled to cope after learning of a loved one’s serious illness.

The research found that PTSD arousal symptoms,
including being jumpy, sleep disturbance, restlessness and negative emotions
had bridge connections with gambling disorder, or called by some as compulsive
gambling.

The prevalence of gambling disorder found among female
workers from the Southeast Asian country stood at 5.1 per cent, compared to 2.1
per cent as far as the city’s total population was concerned.

Meanwhile, struggling with concentrating,
irritability, hyper-vigilance, negative emotions, and emotional reactivity also
had bridge connections with alcohol misuse.

The selection of female workers for the research, as
the scholars noted, was down to the fact that Filipino domestic helpers are
overwhelmingly female, and their experiences are relatable to a wider Filipino population
in the city.