The relationships between migraine, depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep disturbances

To assess the relationships between migraine, depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep problems. Psychiatric conditions and sleep disturbances are common in migraineurs. Depression, anxiety, stress, migraine, and sleep problems frequently coexist as comorbidities. Eighty-seven episodic migraineurs (62 females, 25 males; 32.8 ± 6.9) and 41 control subjects (25 females, 16 males; 31.5 ± 5.6) were prospectively enrolled for the study. The participants completed a sociodemographic data form and a migraine disability assessment scale (MIDAS), depression, anxiety, stress scale (DASS), and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). In migraineurs, a significant positive correlation was found between PSQI total scores and MIDAS scores (migraine related disability for at least three consecutive months) (r = 0. 234, p = 0.04). Only 24.1 % of migraineus (n = 21) had minimal or no disability, 75.9 % of the patients (n = 66) had more than a little disability according to MIDAS scores. PSQI total scores were also correlated with pain intensity over a three month period (MIDAS B) (r = 0.221, p = 0.04). While PSQI scores were found significantly different between migraineurs and control subjects (5.5 ± 2.9 vs 4.5 ± 2.5; p = 0.04), the correlation of all the DASS subscale scores between the groups was not statistically significant. Our findings showed that episodic migraine was a risk factor on its own for sleep disturbances without comorbid depression, anxiety, and stress. Moreover, migraine-related disability and pain intensity in migraine attacks were related to poor sleep quality.