Henrietta Bowden-Jones

My Work in Behavioural Addictions

I am a consultant psychiatrist and researcher working in the field of behavioural addictions, with a particular focus on gambling disorder and gaming disorder. Over the past two decades, my clinical and academic work has centred on developing evidence-based treatment pathways for people affected by gambling-related harm and other compulsive behaviours, while also contributing to wider conversations about prevention, public health, and policy.

My professional background lies in addiction psychiatry. I initially worked with patients experiencing alcohol and substance dependence, often alongside complex mental health presentations. Through this work, I became increasingly aware that behavioural addictions — particularly gambling — were producing patterns of harm comparable to those seen in substance use disorders, yet were largely underserved within healthcare systems. This gap became a defining focus of my career.

My aim has always been to bridge clinical practice, research, and service development. I approach behavioural addictions not only as individual clinical conditions, but as outcomes shaped by accessibility, product design, social context, and broader systems. This perspective has guided both my clinical leadership and my research priorities.

Medical training and research foundations

I trained in medicine and specialised in psychiatry, completing my Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in addiction psychiatry. Alongside my clinical training, I pursued academic research, completing a Doctorate in Medicine (MD) in neuroscience at Imperial College London. My doctoral research examined orbitofrontal cortex dysfunction and relapse in alcohol dependence, providing a neurobiological foundation that later informed my understanding of compulsive behaviours more broadly.

This combination of neuroscience, psychiatry, and addiction medicine shaped how I approached behavioural addictions. While much of the literature in this area sits within psychology or public health, my training encouraged me to consider how behavioural addictions should be assessed, diagnosed, and treated within clinical systems, using standards comparable to those applied in other areas of mental health.

Establishing specialist treatment for gambling disorder

In 2008, I founded the National Problem Gambling Clinic, the first NHS service in the United Kingdom dedicated specifically to the treatment of gambling disorder. At the time, gambling harm was often discussed as a social or moral issue, but rarely addressed through structured healthcare pathways. The creation of the clinic represented a step toward recognising gambling disorder as a condition requiring specialist clinical intervention.

From the outset, the clinic was designed as a multidisciplinary service. Patients often present with comorbid anxiety, depression, substance use, financial stress, and relationship breakdown, and effective treatment requires addressing these interconnected issues. In addition to treatment, the clinic became a centre for learning, supervision, and data collection, contributing to a growing evidence base around treatment-seeking populations and clinical outcomes.

Career timeline and leadership roles

Expanding care to gaming disorder and digital harms

As digital environments evolved, I became increasingly concerned about the clinical impact of excessive gaming and other technology-mediated behaviours. In 2019, following the recognition of gaming disorder in ICD-11, I founded the National Centre for Gaming Disorders, the first NHS clinic dedicated to the assessment and treatment of gaming disorder.

This work reflects a broader shift in behavioural addiction research toward understanding how digital products, reward structures, and immersive environments can influence behaviour. While gaming disorder differs from gambling disorder, there are shared mechanisms, including reinforcement schedules, emotional regulation, and loss of control. My work has focused on ensuring that these emerging harms are met with appropriate clinical responses rather than dismissal or moral panic.

Leadership in behavioural addiction services

I currently serve as Director of a Centre for Behavioural Addictions within NHS services, overseeing specialist treatment for gambling and gaming disorders. This role involves not only clinical oversight, but also service development, workforce training, and collaboration across healthcare, research, and policy domains.

In 2022, I was appointed as the first National Clinical Advisor on Gambling Harms. In this capacity, I contribute clinical expertise to national discussions on how systems respond to gambling-related harm, with an emphasis on treatment access, evidence-based policy, and the importance of independent research.

Selected honours and leadership appointments

Academic appointments and research collaboration

Alongside my clinical work, I hold honorary academic positions, including Honorary Professor at University College London and Honorary Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge. These roles allow me to remain actively involved in research, supervision, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

A significant part of my academic work has involved building research networks in behavioural addictions. I have been involved in initiatives that bring together clinicians, neuroscientists, psychologists, and public health researchers to address gaps in evidence and to promote rigorous, independent research in a field that has historically been underfunded.

My research interests include treatment pathways for gambling disorder, comorbidity, service evaluation, and the public health implications of gambling and gaming products. I have also contributed to discussions on research governance and the importance of maintaining independence from industry influence.

Publications, books, and clinical resources

I have edited and contributed to a range of academic publications and clinical texts focused on gambling harm and behavioural addictions. These works are intended both to support clinicians working in the field and to provide accessible resources for individuals and families affected by gambling problems.

Selected publications and books

Through books such as A Clinician’s Guide to Working with Problem Gamblers, Harm Reduction for Gambling, and Breaking FREE: How to Stop Gambling, I have aimed to translate research into practical tools that can be used in real-world settings. Editorial projects have also allowed me to highlight under-researched areas, including gambling disorder in women and family-level harm.

Public engagement and professional recognition

Public engagement has been an important part of my work. I regularly contribute to discussions in media, professional forums, and policy settings to improve understanding of behavioural addictions and to reduce stigma around treatment-seeking. I believe that clinical knowledge must be communicated clearly if it is to inform effective prevention and care.

In recognition of my work, I was appointed OBE for services to addiction treatment and research. I have also received professional recognition within psychiatry, which I value as acknowledgment of the importance of behavioural addiction treatment within mental health services.

Reflections on impact and future direction

Looking back, my career has developed alongside growing recognition of gambling and gaming disorders as legitimate clinical concerns. While progress has been made, significant challenges remain — including access to treatment, prevention, and the need for high-quality, independent research.

My ongoing focus is on ensuring that people affected by behavioural addictions are met with evidence-based care, informed policy, and compassion. I remain committed to strengthening clinical services, advancing research, and contributing to a public health approach that recognises behavioural addictions as complex, multifactorial conditions shaped by both individual vulnerability and wider systems.