The role of affect in the etiology of chronic headache

Three hypotheses regarding the possible etiological relationship between affect and headache activity were examined through the use of cross-lagged correlational analyses: (1) the relationship between headache activity and affect (anger, anxiety and depression) is isomorphic, that is, increased headache activity is associated with same day increases in emotionality; (2) increased affect precedes (and thus possibly causes) increased headache activity; and, (3) increased headache activity precedes (and thus possibly causes) increased affect. Only hypothesis one was supported in the present study, and the relationship was found to be weak and only to approach significance (r = 0.163, p less than 0.09). These findings cast serious doubt upon many psychological theories regarding the etiology of headache and on the relationship between affect and headache in general.