The influence of anxiety and depression on headache in adolescent migraineurs: a case-control study

Migraine is commonly linked to a range of psychiatric comorbidities, primarily anxiety and depression. The present study compared the frequency of anxiety and depression disorders in migraine and non-migraine adolescents and evaluated the relation of depression and anxiety to migraine characteristics.

In this case-control study, 234 adolescents (112 migraineurs and 122 non-migraine adolescents) aged 13-18 years were evaluated. A headache questionnaire as well as the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Children's Depression Inventory were completed to investigate the prevalence of headache, anxiety, and depression.

The average age of participants was 15.77±2 years in the case group and 15.39±1.79 years in the control group. We found significantly higher levels of mild, moderate, and severe anxiety (38.4%, 23.2%and 23.2% respectively) in the migraine group compared to the control group (24.2%, 5.8%and 10.0% respectively) (p<0.001). Significantly more children in the control group (29.6%) than in the case group (10.1%) had a non-depressive CDI score (p=0.005). There was a significant difference between patients with moderate and severe anxiety in terms of attack frequency and duration. Depressed migraineurs recorded higher attack severities and frequencies than migraineurs without depression.

Anxiety and depression are common in adolescents with migraine and can be associated with more burdensome attacks.