“Too little, too late”: A qualitative exploration of the unique pain management unmet needs of young adults with migraine

Introduction: Whilst a sizeable portion of young adults experience migraine,
little is known about the unique support needs of these individuals at the
critical developmental timepoint of young adulthood. In this study we aimed
to identify the unmet needs for pain management in young adults (18–30
years) who experience migraine and how pain management programmes can
be adjusted to better meet those needs.
Methods: Individual interviews and focus groups were conducted online with
seven young adults who experience migraine pain (N = 6 female, Mage = 23.6
years) and eight clinicians providing pain management support to young
adults with chronic pain, including migraine (representing psychology,
anaesthesiology, nursing, physiotherapy & hypnotherapy). Qualitative data
generated from both young adults and clinicians was jointly analysed using
reflexive inductive thematic analysis.
Results: Two main themes were generated: (1) Too little too late; and (2) The
challenges of finding their tribe. The first theme highlights that young adults
would benefit from holistic, interdisciplinary treatment options tailored to their
individual needs early on in their chronic pain journey, but access to these
services is limited and offered too late in the process. The second theme
represents the increased need for support in relation to social life and making
vocational decisions, which could be met through peer support groups and
positive representation.
Discussion: These insights underscore the need to improve access to holistic,
interdisciplinary and personalised care for young adults living with migraine
which incorporate online and peer-based support approaches to address
issues related to maintaining social connection and career planning.