Abstract
Catastrophization is a psychological aspect of pain that alters its perception and expression. To investigate the feature of catastrophization in migraine. An online survey of individuals suffering from migraine attacks at least twice a month, for at least one year was carried out. Confidentiality was assured and participants gave details of their headache (including a visual analogue pain scale) and answered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Catastrophization Scale questionnaires. The survey included 242 individuals with migraine attacks at least twice a month. The median scores observed in this group of individuals were 7 for pain, 11 for anxiety, 7 for depression, and 2 for catastrophization. Catastrophization had no correlation with the duration (p=0.78) or intensity (p=0.79) of the migraine. There was no correlation between catastrophization and headache frequency (p=0.91) or the monthly amount of headache medication taken (p=0.85). High scores for catastrophization (≥3.0) were identified in one third of the participants. These high scores were not associated with age, headache duration, pain severity, frequency of attacks, or traits of depression or anxiety. There was a moderate association between both depression and anxiety traits with catastrophization. Catastrophization seems to be a trait of the individual and appears to be unrelated to the characteristics of the migraine.
Highlights
IntroductionWhile some patients may deal well with their headache attacks, others accumulate anxiety, depression, and other psychological features to their chronic and/or recurrent pain
Primary headaches are a frequent reason for seeking medical care
Four of them did not fulfill the diagnostic criteria for migraine from the International Headache Society[6] and were excluded
Summary
While some patients may deal well with their headache attacks, others accumulate anxiety, depression, and other psychological features to their chronic and/or recurrent pain. Catastrophization is a psychological aspect of pain that alters its perception and expression. Confidentiality was assured and participants gave details of their headache (including a visual analogue pain scale) and answered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Catastrophization Scale questionnaires. The median scores observed in this group of individuals were 7 for pain, 11 for anxiety, 7 for depression, and 2 for catastrophization. Catastrophization had no correlation with the duration (p=0.78) or intensity (p=0.79) of the migraine. High scores for catastrophization (3.0) were identified in one third of the participants These high scores were not associated with age, headache duration, pain severity, frequency of attacks, or traits of depression or anxiety. Conclusions: Catastrophization seems to be a trait of the individual and appears to be unrelated to the characteristics of the migraine
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