Online Gambling Disorder and Its Psychosocial Impact on Adolescent Mental Health: Outcomes of a Multidisciplinary Community

Abstract

Online gambling has become a serious threat to the mental health of Indonesian adolescents, with rising cases of addiction (gambling disorder), anxiety, depression, social isolation, and suicide risk. PPATK (2024) recorded online gambling transactions totaling IDR 359.8 trillion involving 16.38 million active players, yet community-based psychological education on the issue remains scarce. This community service study assessed how effectively a multidisciplinary interactive webinar improved adolescents' understanding of, and psychological resilience to, the effects of online gambling. The webinar was delivered via Zoom on 28 June 2025 to members of Angkatan Muda Muhammadiyah (AMM) and the general public aged 15–24, with Dr. dr. H. Kusbaryanto, M.Kes., FISPH., FISCM. as the mental health speaker and Desy Eliana as panelist. Understanding was measured with a pre-test and post-test administered through Google Forms. Attendance reached 85% of the target, and mean comprehension scores rose by 42% after the webinar, in line with Hartono and Cahyati (2022), who reported similar gains in a comparable psychoeducation program. Participants were able to identify the DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder, its neuropsychological consequences, and evidence-based prevention strategies. The findings suggest that a multidisciplinary webinar is an effective and replicable model for community intervention.