Comparison of headache parameters using headache type and emotional status
1Behavioral Medicine Program, University of Michigan, Suite L, 475 Market Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48197-0757, USA. pctrask@umich.edu
Objective:
The literature on the impact of headache has traditionally focused on the relationship of subject variables to specific headache types. Recently, increasing attention is being paid to the impact on disease of emotional distress. The current study was designed to determine whether differences in subject variables arose when comparing them by headache type vs. empirically derived emotional distress clusters.
Method:
A review of responses to measures of headache impact (e.g., duration, medication use) and emotional distress (Brief Symptom Inventory, BSI) completed by 292 patients attending a headache clinic was conducted. Patient responses were analyzed by headache type and emotional distress cluster.
Results:
Comparison by headache type revealed that combined headaches were of longer duration, used more medications, and were more likely to have seen a chiropractor. Comparison by distress cluster revealed high-distress patients to have missed more days of work, have legal involvement, have sought psychological services, and to be male.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that clinically useful information can be obtained by using both headache diagnosis and emotional status. In addition, this information may be useful by providing additional knowledge that may lead to different clinical protocols in headache management.
