New research highlights association of panic attacks with methamphetamine use
Recent research undertaken by Monash Rural Health has shown a strong association between methamphetamine use and panic attacks, with 36% of people who smoke methamphetamine included in the study experiencing a panic attack in the past 4 weeks. This compares to 5% of people in the general population experiencing a panic attack in a 12 month period.
Lead researcher, Dr Rochelle Hine was drawn to undertake research in this area after working as a social work clinician and manager in the public mental health sector with many people who experience substance use disorders alongside other mental health challenges and social factors.
“Stigma surrounding methamphetamine use is rife, and this manifests in many people falling through the service gaps and not receiving the treatment and support they need.”
Additional findings from the study showed that being female, younger, identifying as non-heterosexual, experiencing interpersonal assault in the past 12 months, being methamphetamine dependent and reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression, increased the likelihood of experiencing a panic attack.
Given the strong association between panic attacks people who smoke methamphetamine, supportive, strength based, care is required at all of the places people who use methamphetamine may present, including GP clinics, mental health services, emergency departments and alcohol and other drugs services. An awareness of the high correlation between methamphetamine use, the factors listed above and panic attack will support practitioners across those settings to ask questions that can illuminate individual experiences and identify barriers to making lifestyle and behavioural change. Practitioners need to be alert to the compounding factors of discrimination - sexism and homophobia in particular.
The published study is part of the VMAX research project, which has collected data from 800 Victorians with long-term patterns of methamphetamine use, including what causes people to start and stop using over time, the types of services that they use and the types of services they wish to access for help.
Dr Hine was invited to take part in the VMAX study as an early career researcher, and this particular study provided an opportunity for her to gain knowledge and receive support and mentorship in completing a quantitative study which has built upon her previous experience as a qualitative researcher.
“I was mentored by experienced researchers with expertise in this field and with this methodology. This enabled me to undertake the analysis with a degree of confidence and to develop new skills.”
For those considering undertaking research in rural areas, Dr Hine suggested that rural people are the experts in rural issues, including the problems and also the solutions.
“So if you are not from that location, you are going to need to draw on local knowledge and take the time to build relationships. Rural communities are diverse. A place based approach that considers the socioeconomic, cultural and political context will be most effective.”
Further qualitative research would be required to create a deeper understanding of the experience of panic attacks for people who use methamphetamines, exploring help seeking enablers and barriers, what phase of methamphetamine use panic attacks are more likely to occur and the relationship between methamphetamine use and panic attack (i.e. does using or withdrawing from methamphetamine contribute to panic attacks? or do panic attacks lead to using methamphetamine to self medicate?).
Research supervisor Associate Professor Bernadette Ward spoke about the global significance of this research.
“This research represents one of the first studies globally making a link between methamphetamine use and panic attacks, and is an outstanding achievement for Rochelle who gained valuable skills undertaking this project early in her research career.”