The impact of living with migraine disease in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

AIM: To describe the impact of living with migraine disease in Aotearoa New Zealand. METHODS: Online survey: Migraine in Aotearoa New Zealand Survey (MiANZ) delivered via SurveyMonkey from 22 August 2022 to 7 October 2022. Questions included: socio-demographics, the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS), the impact on work and open-ended questions with free text. Analysis used a mixed method approach. RESULTS: Five hundred and thirty people from Aotearoa New Zealand (82% female; 77% NZ European/Other). Almost half of respondents had severe disability, measured by the MIDAS. Based on reported headaches days per month, 23% had chronic migraine. Significant impacts were noted on all areas of life. Themes from rich free-text data included “physical impacts”, “mental health impacts”, “impacts on work (paid/unpaid)”, “impacts on social connection” and “impacts of trying to find a cause or cure”. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first reported survey of people with migraine in Aotearoa New Zealand and shows high levels of migraine disability. Greater awareness of the impact of migraine is needed, among the public and in workplaces, where more support and accommodation for workers with migraine could have a positive effect on productivity.