PhD graduate makes waves with high profile publications
Dr Zoe Duncan, recent Monash Rural Health PhD graduate, is prepared for a stellar career, after publishing four papers in top-tier international journals, relating to her research focusing on addressing the mental health needs of people who use methamphetamine in Victoria.
Mentored by her Monash Rural Health supervisors, Associate Professor Bernadette Ward, Associate Professor Rebecca Kipen, Dr Keith Sutton and Professor Paul Dietze from Burnet Institute, Zoe’s research sought to better understand the long term mental health impacts, and the mental health treatment received by people who use methamphetamine.
The quality of her PhD research has led to publication in the prestigious Addiction journal for her research conducted with people who use methamphetamines over a three year period. Amongst other findings, her research highlighted that changes in anxiety or depression are associated with changes in methamphetamine dependence and changing from smoking to injecting the drug. More than half (60%) of the regular methamphetamine users participating in one study were classified as experiencing moderate to severe anxiety and/or depression.
Zoe’s research fills an important gap in pre-existing research, which has mostly focused on the risk of experiencing psychosis for people who inject methamphetamine. In contrast, Dr Duncan’s research focuses on rates of moderate to severe anxiety and depression in a large cohort of methamphetamine-using participants, who primarily use non-injecting methods of administering the drug.
“Understanding how change in methamphetamine use and other covariates are associated with change in anxiety or depression could assist to identify key intervention points to be considered in treatment development. Much of the available research has focused upon treatment-based populations and those who use methamphetamine intravenously; therefore, studies of community-recruited cohorts including those who smoke or non-intravenously use methamphetamine are needed.”
According to Associate Professor Bernadette Ward, one of Zoe’s supervisors, her research is groundbreaking and has achieved a very significant impact for an early career researcher.
“Being recognised and published by significant top tier journals is an outstanding achievement for Zoe, and recognises her excellent methodical approach to research, and nuanced understanding of research in this area.”
In the future, Dr Zoe Duncan hopes to be involved in further research that benefits the health of rural populations and supports health equity for people who use methamphetamine.
“I am passionate about improving health outcomes for those who live in non-metropolitan locations, particularly for those who may be experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns. I am a big advocate for harm reduction integrated care for this population”
Publications:
Duncan Z, Kippen R, Sutton K, et al. Correlates of anxiety and depression in a community cohort of people who smoke methamphetamine. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2022;56(8):964-973. doi:10.1177/00048674211048152
Duncan, Z., Kippen, R., Sutton, K. et al. Health Service Use for Mental Health Reasons in a Cohort of People Who Use Methamphetamine Experiencing Moderate to Severe Anxiety or Depression. Int J Ment Health Addiction 22, 543–559 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-022-00889-9
Zoe Duncan, Bernadette Ward, Rebecca Kippen, Paul Dietze, Keith Sutton, A narrative systematic review of associations and temporality between use of methamphetamine, ecstasy/MDMA, or cocaine with anxiety or depressive symptoms, Addictive Behaviors, Volume 153, 2024, 107988, ISSN 0306-4603, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.107988
Duncan Z, Kippen R, Sutton K, Ward B, Rathnayake K, Quinn B, et al. Anxiety and depression among a community-recruited cohort of people who use methamphetamine: A longitudinal analysis. Addiction. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16714