Pain catastrophizing in migraine patients and associated factors

Authors : Hatice Harmanci, Birsel Kul

Pages : 876-881

Doi:10.32322/jhsm.975669

View : 20 | Download : 11

Publication Date : 2021-09-24

Article Type : Research

Abstract :Aim: We carried out this study to examine the level of pain catastrophizing (PC) among migraine patients and factors possibly affecting PC. Material and Method: The sample of this study comprised 120 patients who applied to the neurology clinic of a state hospital and were diagnosed with migraine by the International Headache Society’s (IHS) criteria between April 2017 – March 2019. Then, we collected the data from those meeting the inclusion criteria using a socio-demographic information form, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and the Barrat Impulsiveness Scale Short Form (BIS-11-SF). Data analysis was performed on the SPSS 25.0 statistics software. To explore the relationships between the variables, we ran one-way ANOVA and multiple regression analyses and calculated Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Results: We divided the participants into three groups: Group 1 included 30 patients who got full benefit from the treatment during a migraine attack (25%); Group 2 included 25 patients who were unable to obtain any benefit from the treatment at all (20.8%); Group 3 included 65 patients with partial benefit from the treatment (54.17%). The PCS scores were higher in Group 1 and Group 3, while Group 2 had significantly higher PCS total and Rumination scores than Group 1. The number of attacks and impulsiveness levels of the patients explained 18.6% of the variance in PC. Conclusion: The cognitive capacity of individuals is essential in identifying the prognosis of migraine. Catastrophizing pain is likely to lower treatment response in migraine patients. Besides, the increased number of attacks and impulsiveness levels of patients influence their PC levels. Finally, migraine is a disorder with a psychiatric aspect; therefore, performing appropriate mental evaluations and offering necessary psychiatric support may enhance the chance of success in migraine treatment.
Keywords : Migraine, pain catastrophizing, clinical aspects, ımpulsiveness