Overattachment and perceived disability in chronic migraineurs

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess whether stagnation dimensions and depression were associated with perceived disability in chronic migraineurs.

Methods: Participants were 69 consecutive adult outpatients admitted to the Regional Referral Headache Centre of the Sant'Andrea Hospital in Rome, Italy. Patients were administered the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Stagnation Scale, and the Italian Perceived Disability Scale. They also compiled a headache diary to compute headache frequency.

Results: Patients with higher perceived disability (compared to patients with lower perceived disability) reported higher depression and higher symptoms of stagnation. The effect of Overattachment, a dimension of the Stagnation Scale, on perceived disability was only in part mediated by the severity of depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: Our results confirm that many patients with chronic migraine report symptoms of stagnation, and that investigating the presence of the stagnation syndrome may be useful for understanding the psychology of chronic migraineurs.