Association between primary headaches and depression in young adults in southern Brazil

To verify the association between depression and headache in young adults, as well as to identify the features of headache associated with depression and the influence of this mood disorder on headache-related disability.

A cross-sectional study with self-administered questionnaires about headache and depression was conducted at the Universidade de Caxias do Sul. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) were used to evaluate depressive symptoms and headache-related disability, respectively. Depression was considered if BDI ≥ 15.

A thousand and thirteen young adults were included in the study. A clear relationship was observed between headache and depression among the participants. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that nausea or vomiting related to headache and higher headache-related disability scores were independent factors associated with depression. Migraine was more associated with depression than the other types of headache.

The results demonstrate an association between headache and depression. Depressive symptoms are more likely to be found in young adults with more disabling headaches.