In collaboration, Monash University, Alfred Health, University of NSW, and Prince of Wales Hospital are undertaking research to investigate:
- How common is migraine in Australia?
- How does it affect our lives, work, and families?
- How can we make this better?
We know from international data that migraine and medication overuse headache (MOH) are extremely prevalent diseases and leading causes of disability worldwide. However, we lack robust, Australian-specific data. We propose a mail out survey-based pilot study across urban and regional areas in Victoria and New South Wales to capture a crucial snapshot of migraine and MOH in Australia.
This pilot study will inform us of the magnitude, impact, and current gaps in the treatment paradigm of these conditions. These findings will also inform the development of the first Australia-wide, comprehensive study of headache epidemiology. These data will go towards closing the largest knowledge gap in Australian headache medicine.
This research is critical for informing guidelines regarding diagnosis, directing future healthcare priorities, incentivising investment in new therapies, improving equitable access to existing and new treatments, and shaping healthcare pathways that will bring impactful change to individuals’ quality of life, their families, and our communities.
This study is endorsed by the Australian and New Zealand Headache Society.
Monash University will be mailing 20,000 randomly selected households across Victoria and New South Wales and inviting people to complete a survey. The survey asks whether people experience migraine, and if so, how it affects their lives, what sort of treatment they have tried, and any barriers they have come up against to accessing healthcare.
The survey is anonymous. Participants will NOT be asked to provide their name, date of birth, address, or any other information that can identify them.
https://research.monash.edu/en/projects/australian-headache-epidemiology-data-ahead-a-pilot-study
This research is funded by a grant from the Brain Foundation, Lundbeck, and Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation.