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Attachment styles in children affected by migraine without aura
Maria Esposito1, Lucia Parisi, Beatrice Gallai
1Center for Childhood Headache, Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
|October 15, 2013
Summary
Children with migraine without aura (MoA) show a higher prevalence of avoidant attachment styles and a lower prevalence of secure attachment styles. This highlights a potential link between attachment patterns and pediatric migraine characteristics.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Child Psychology
- Attachment Theory
Background:
- Psychological problems and psychiatric comorbidities are increasingly recognized in children with primary headaches.
- Attachment styles may influence pain perception and headache experiences.
- Understanding these links is crucial for comprehensive pediatric headache management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalent attachment style in school-aged children with migraine without aura (MoA).
- To investigate the relationship and correlation between attachment styles and key migraine attack characteristics in this population.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 219 children with MoA (aged 6–11) and 381 healthy controls.
- Attachment typologies were assessed using the Italian modified Separation Anxiety Test.
- Migraine characteristics (frequency, duration, intensity) were recorded via headache diaries and visual analog scales.
Main Results:
- Children with MoA exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of avoidant (type A) attachment (P<0.001).
- A significantly lower prevalence of secure (type B) attachment was observed in the MoA group compared to controls (P<0.001).
- Spearman rank correlation revealed significant associations between MoA characteristics and children's attachment styles.
Conclusions:
- Avoidant attachment is more prevalent in children with MoA, while secure attachment is less common compared to healthy peers.
- These findings suggest that attachment style is a relevant factor in pediatric headache research.
- Investigating attachment styles can enhance the understanding of psychiatric comorbidity in pediatric headache.
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