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Life event stress and headache frequency revisited
1Department of Psychology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0376, USA.
Headache
|April 12, 2000
Summary
Life stress is linked to headache frequency, particularly in women. This association persists even when controlling for depression and current headache status, highlighting stress as a key factor for women
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The relationship between life stress and headache frequency is inconsistent across existing studies.
- Previous research suggesting a link often focused on younger populations with large sample sizes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between life stress and headache frequency.
- To examine potential gender and age differences in this relationship.
- To control for the confounding effects of depression and current headache status.
Main Methods:
- 1289 subjects completed self-report measures assessing headache symptomatology, headache presence, depression, and life stress.
- Statistical analyses were employed to evaluate the relationship between life stress and headache frequency, considering demographic and psychological factors.
Main Results:
- Negative life event stress showed a modest but significant positive correlation with headache frequency.
- This stress-headache relationship was more pronounced in women than in men.
- After accounting for depression and headache status, the link between life stress and headache frequency remained significant solely for women.
- No significant relationship was observed between negative life event stress and headache frequency in the oldest 10% of the sample.
Conclusions:
- Life stress, specifically negative life events, is significantly associated with increased headache frequency.
- Gender moderates this relationship, with women experiencing a stronger link between stress and headaches.
- The findings underscore the importance of considering psychological factors like stress and depression in understanding headache prevalence, particularly in women.
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