Andrew Shaw: Feeling Blue

A new study report from the University of NSW says gay men who take drugs are three times more likely to have major depression than other gay men.

Dr Christy Newman from the National Centre in HIV Social Research is one of the people behind the report. She told me the study – which was not confined to HIV positive men – is a secondary analysis of data collected between 2006 and 2008. This research, conducted by GPs in Adelaide and Sydney, recorded the experiences of 500 gay men.

The focus of the original survey was depression – how doctors can detect it and how they can help patients deal with it. But the emerging correlation in the initial data between depression and drugs in the data was significant enough to revisit it with a fresh emphasis.

Significantly, this new study was funded by beyondblue through the Movember fundraising campaign – remember last year’s ‘Fauxvember’ uproar?

“The value of a secondary analysis is you don’t have to go back and ask people questions again,” Newman told me, stressing the time and money surveys like this cost. “The original project wasn’t funded to look at the issue of alcohol and drug use but we thought, you know what, we haven’t had time to look at this [drug related] issue that seems to be flowing through that data.”

The report states that gay men talked with their GPs about the beneficial aspects of drug use: “...for example, drug use could sometimes make it easier to cope with difficult experiences and was seen as a central part of gay community life.”

It must be noted that the GPs participating in the survey were identified as “gay-friendly”. “Among the GPs we interviewed, recreational drug use by their patients is a normal part of their practice,” Newman says. “However, they are very concerned with the health outcomes for their patients.”

The one drug that doctors find difficult to deal with when it comes to diagnosing depression is crystal meth. The study report states: “While doctors should be aware that frequent use of crystal meth amphetamine [among patients] could get in the way of diagnosing depression, other alcohol and drug use does not seem to have a noticeable effect on doctors’ ability to diagnose depression.”

The study does show one positive development: doctors and patients are talking about recreational drug use. The downside is that bit about drug use as a “central part of gay community life”. It’s the sort of statement that will be jumped on by bigots.

On that note, I know that some of you will be ‘Sending Grog on a holiday’ this month and taking part in Feb-Fast, in which case this is a perfect time to test the claims of the above-mentioned study. If you are Feb-Fasting, good luck and take heart – February is the shortest month!