Prevalence of migraine, its effect, and some comorbid psychiatric disorders among female medical students at Al-Azhar University in Cairo

Abstract

Background The study on the importance of being mentally, socially, and physically healthy as a medical student is a deficient area in the scientific research in developing countries. Migraine has a negative effect on the general health as well as educational performance. Medical students, especially females, may be at a higher risk to manifest migraine associated with anxiety and/or depression. Aims The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of migraine headache, to investigate its effect, and to assess some comorbid psychiatric disorders (anxiety and depression) among female medical students at Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Participants and methods A cross-sectional study was carried out on 599 female medical students from grade 1 to grade 6 at Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, over a period of 1 month during the academic year 2014–2015. The studied female medical students were 18–26 years old. Through a self-administrated questionnaire, sociodemographic data were reported. In students without migraine with aura symptoms, the effects of migraine on daily activities, sleeping pattern, seeking of medical care, educational attendance, and influence on career decision were investigated. For each student, the reported migraine neurological symptoms were verified through meeting the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria for diagnosis, whereas comorbid psychiatric evaluation was assessed through the valid and reliable version of Neuropsychiatric Assessment by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results The reported migraine prevalence among the studied female medical students was 35.8%. The mean age of students having migraine was significantly higher than those without migraine (21.09±1.98 vs. 20.61±1.91 years) (P 0.05). Conclusion and future vision The prevalence of migraine is considered high among the studied female medical students. It is found to be an important health problem because of its negative effect on diminishing students’ performance, disrupting their sleep, and implied stress. Anxiety and/or depression among medicals students with migraine as well as those without are urgent burdens that should be investigated more and targeted by health care providers. Curriculum should include stress-coping tools, counseling, and psychosocial support to reduce distress and severe effect of migraine on students’ well-being.