Learning migraine self-management: the role of mothers and socioeconomic status

One in five U.S. women have migraine. Most do not seek migraine-specific treatment, relying heavily on social networks for knowledge. Self-management is fundamental, but little is known about how women learn to self-manage during and in-between headaches. We present findings here from an exploratory qualitative study. We interviewed 6 women on how and from whom they learned to self-manage migraine. Results indicate migraine self-management strategies reflect the migraine self-management behaviors observed in trusted migraineurs - who were predominantly mothers and grandmothers. Strategies and what was learned from trusted migrainuers varied between women with higher and lower socioeconomic status. How social learning affects current self-management among women with migraine needs additional research to guide providers in understanding, and optimizing, migraine self-management counseling with their patients.