Abstract
BackgroundMigraine is a type of primary headache widely known for its impact on quality of life of patients. Although the psychological aspects of the disease are receiving increasing attention in current research, some of them, as alexithymia, are still seldom explored. This study aimed to provide evidence on the relationships between markers of depression, anxiety, alexithymia, self-reflection, insight and quality of life in migraine.MethodsForty female outpatients from a Brazilian specialized headache hospital service and a paired control group were compared.ResultsThe results revealed that women with migraine had higher levels of depression, anxiety and alexithymia, and lower levels of quality of life, self-reflection and insight, compared to controls. Quality of life in women with migraine was predicted by levels of depression and one alexithymia factor (ability to express emotions and fantasies). A binary regression analysis between clinical and control groups revealed the migraine group to comprise individuals with high anxiety, low quality of life in the physical domain and the presence of a concrete thinking style.ConclusionsThe results highlight the relevance of considering psychological variables in the routine healthcare practices for migraine patients in general, while keeping steady attention to individual case features.
Highlights
Migraine is a type of primary headache widely known for its impact on quality of life of patients
The authors concluded that alexithymia and depressive mood associated with high disability may be a typical psychosocial pattern of "repeater" migraine patients
This study aimed at investigating the relations among the psychological factors alexithymia, self-reflection, insight, depression, anxiety; demographic variables; and aspects of the impacts of the disorder on these patients’ lives, such as severity of symptoms and quality of life in migraine sufferers as compared to a group of matched controls
Summary
Migraine is a type of primary headache widely known for its impact on quality of life of patients. Migraine is a type of primary headache afflicting in average 11 percent of the global adult population and approximately 15.2 percent of the Brazilian adult population [1,2] It is more prevalent in women than men, a pattern that can be observed in the Brazilian population [2]. Such research starts from the general premise that the way individuals perceive and express their ailment will have important effects in their relationship with treatment and in choosing strategies to cope with the disorder. One of such relevant cognitive patterns is alexithymia, which is more common in migraine sufferers comparing to controls [3]. The authors concluded that alexithymia and depressive mood associated with high disability may be a typical psychosocial pattern of "repeater" migraine patients
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