The survey finds that 91% of health care providers and 67% of people with migraines feel that people who can successfully manage stress and mental health conditions can also better manage migraine symptoms.
Most health professionals and people with migraine (PwM) said that headaches are strongly related to their mental health, noting that the stigma around migraines is a significant challenge for those seeking to talk about their mental status with your health care provider, depending on the Migraine and Mental Health Connection Survey.
The survey, conducted by the American Migraine Foundation (AMF) and Biohaven Pharmaceuticals between April and May 2022, included 1,100 PwMs who also reported having a mental health condition. The survey also included 302 health care providers who treat neurological conditions, including 50 neurologists, 50 headache specialists and 202 general practitioners.
The results showed that 91% of healthcare providers and 67% of PwMs feel that people who can successfully manage stress and mental health conditions are also better able to manage migraine symptoms.
“Migraine is complex and has the ability to disrupt a person’s life, relationships and sense of well-being, which in turn can affect their mental health,” said Judy Ho, PhD, a board-certified clinical and forensic neuropsychologist. triple board and former co- lot of The doctors, in a press release. “The Migraine and Mental Health Connection Survey showed that people with migraine and health professionals agree that the unpredictable and disabling nature of migraine attacks often creates worry and anxiety that can add difficulty to the ability to control migraine and further affect your mental health. This is often referred to as a “vicious cycle” between migraine and mental health. It’s important for people with migraine to understand that improving mental health can lead to better migraine outcomes and vice versa.”
The researchers noted that a critical step in improving PwM’s mental health outcomes is to discuss these issues with a trusted health care provider. Survey results showed that two-thirds of PwMs feel it is important to discuss mental health with the provider treating their migraine.
Additionally, approximately 60% said they had raised this issue with their provider themselves; however, most PwMs said they would like their vendor to start the conversation. The results also showed a significant discrepancy in PwM discussing mental health with their provider, with 70% of providers indicating that they often, if not always, discuss mental health conditions with their migraine patients.
The survey results also found that health care providers underestimate how many PwMs experience depression and anxiety disorders. Among the PwMs surveyed, 57% report having been diagnosed with anxiety and 50% report having been diagnosed with depressive disorder, which HCPs in the survey estimate occurs in 29% and 30% of patients, respectively.
“Bridging the gaps in communication between healthcare professionals and their patients can help improve migraine management and mental health,” said Larry Newman, MD, professor of neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and president of AMF, in a press release. “I hope that the findings of this survey encourage people with migraine to feel empowered to talk about their pain and have deeper, more meaningful conversations about migraine and mental health without worrying about stigma. These are important conversations that both people with migraine as medical care professionals should initiate at each visit.
In the survey, 87% of PwMs and 94% of healthcare providers indicated that mental health would improve with better migraine control. The mental health treatments most often recommended by health care providers in the survey were medications (83%), psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (71%), and relaxation therapy (70%); however, PwM uses these techniques at a rate of 58%, 28%, and 26%, respectively.
The survey also found that 91% of health care providers and 54% of PwMs indicated that migraine management needs to be more flexible in targeting treatments to the needs of each individual patient. Additionally, nearly all of the PwMs surveyed said it is equally important to treat migraine and mental health and want their health care provider to include these priorities in their treatment plan.
“At Biohaven, we are motivated to help the millions of migraine sufferers better manage their attacks,” said Vlad Coric, MD, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Biohaven, in a press release. “This survey conducted by the American Migraine Foundation allows us to learn more about the prospects of [health care providers] and their migraine patients as we work to better understand the complexities of migraine and its impact on mental health.”
Reference
The American Migraine Foundation survey shows that almost all people with migraine and health professionals believe that migraine and mental health have a significant impact on each other. Press release. Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. Accessed August 9, 2022.
