Understanding the patient and supporter journey in cocaine use disorder

Denise Leclair; Katherine M Waye; Baltazar Gomez-Mancilla; Brian D Kiluk; Ananda Krishna Karanam; Partha S Banerjee; Velusamy Shanmuganathan Muthusamy; Suzanne Maahs

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1230626

Understanding the patient and supporter journey in cocaine use disorder

Front Psychiatry. 2024 Apr 10:15:1230626. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1230626. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Denise Leclair¹, Katherine M Waye², Baltazar Gomez-Mancilla^{3

4}, Brian D Kiluk⁵, Ananda Krishna Karanam⁶, Partha S Banerjee⁶, Velusamy Shanmuganathan Muthusamy⁶, Suzanne Maahs²

Affiliations

¹ Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, One Health Plaza, East Hanover, NJ, United States.
² Novartis BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States.
³ Novartis BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.
⁴ McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁵ Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
⁶ Novartis Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, India.

Abstract

Background: There is a paucity of literature describing experiences and journey of individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD) and supporters who care for them. The aim of this study was to understand and document the journey of individuals with current CUD, those in CUD remission, and supporters.

Methods: The online bulletin board (OBB) is a qualitative tool where participants engage in an interactive discussion on a virtual forum. After completing a 15-minute screening questionnaire determining eligibility, individuals in CUD remission and supporters participated in an OBB for 60 minutes, split across 8 days over 2 weeks. Individuals with current CUD participated in a one-time virtual focus group discussion for 90 minutes.

Results: Individuals in CUD remission (n=35) were from Brazil, France, Spain, the UK, and the US; those with current CUD (n=5) and supporters (n=6) were from the US. Key insights were that individuals with current CUD were seeking a 'euphoric high' that cocaine provides. Those in CUD remission described a 'euphoric high' when they first tried cocaine, but over time it became harder to re-create this feeling. Individuals in CUD remission expressed a 'rollercoaster' of emotions from when they first started using cocaine to when they stopped. Supporters were sad, isolated, and worried about a potential cocaine overdose for their loved ones with CUD.

Conclusion: The study provides valuable insights into the experiences and journey of individuals with CUD and their supporters. Data generated from this study gives insights into this under-served and growing population.

Keywords: cocaine; cocaine use disorder; journey; online bulletin board; patient perspectives; qualitative research; supporters.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The study received funding from Novartis BioMedical Research and Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation (Global Health Development Unit, GDD), Basel, Switzerland. The funder had the following involvement with the study: collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and in the decision to submit the article for publication.