Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Aug 23, 2025
Date Accepted: Aug 10, 2026
Date Submitted to PubMed: Aug 13, 2026
Impact of Migraine and its Management in 5 Gulf Countries: Results of Social Media Platforms Listening Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Migraine affects a significant portion of the global population but is largely underdiagnosed and undertreated, leading to a deep impact on the daily lives of patients. This study analysed discussions related to migraine in English and Arabic across Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Oman, and Qatar.
Objective:
Social media listening may help to identify gaps in migraine management and guide the development of strategies to address them.
Methods:
The study analysed discussions about migraine from over 100 million websites in English and Arabic across Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Oman, and Qatar between January 1, 2018, and June 30, 2022.
Results:
Out of 53,000 mentions, 64% occurred on Twitter (X), and men were 1.1 times likely to discuss migraine than women. Among patient conversations, the impact of migraine on overall health was often discussed, including mentions of pregnancy (2%), vision problems (2.5%), and sleep disruption (3%). Medications like paracetamol, aspirin, ibuprofen, and triptans were frequently mentioned, alongside self-management treatments such as cannabidiol soft gels, cupping, and aroma oils. Patients often used TikTok to share experiences and seek advice. Many patients actively sought to connect and engage with other migraine sufferers for support and share experiences. Social media served as a valuable source of information for patients, with healthcare professionals (HCPs) actively sharing insights and resources through these platforms.
Conclusions:
The study concludes that the analysis of migraine discourse among the five gulf countries, shows active engagement of patients and healthcare professionals in discussions related to migraine on various social media platforms. However, many relay on self-management and alternative medicine instead of seeking professional medical help, which leads to improper management of the symptoms. Social media listening may help to identify possible gaps in management and suggest areas for improvement, but these findings need further validation. Clinical Trial: Nil
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