Anger and emotional distress in patients with migraine and tension–type headache

摘要

The objective was to evaluate the prevalence and the characteristics of anger and emotional distress in migraine and tension– type headache patients. Two hundred and one headache patients attending the Headache Center of the University of Turin were selected for the study and divided into 5 groups: (1) migraine, (2) episodic tension–type headache, (3) chronic tension–type headache, (4) migraine associated with episodic tension–type headache and (5) migraine associated with chronic tension–type headache. A group of 45 healthy subjects served as controls.All the subjects completedthe State–Trait Anger ExpressionInventory, the Beck's DepressionInventory and the CognitiveBehavioral Assessment. Anger controlwas significantly lower in allheadache patients (p<0.05) exceptin migraineurs. Patients withmigraine and tension–typeheadache showed a significantlyhigher level of angry temperamentand angry reaction (p<0.05). Inaddition, chronic tension–typeheadache and migraine associatedwith tension–type headachepatients reported a higher level ofanxiety (p<0.05), depression(p<0.001), phobias (p<0.001) andobsessive–compulsive symptoms(p<0.01), emotional liability(p<0.001) and psychophysiologicaldisorders (p<0.001). Our studyshows that chronic tension–typeheadache and migraine associatedwith tension–type headachepatients present a significantimpairment of anger control andsuggests a connection betweenanger and the duration of headacheexperience.