The influence of anxiety and depression on headache in adolescent migraineurs: a case-control study.

Background: Migraine is commonly linked to a range of psychiatric comorbidities, primarily anxiety and depression. The present study compared the frequency of anxiety and depression disorders in migraine and non-migraine adolescents and evaluated the relation of depression and anxiety to migraine characteristics.

Methods: In this case-control study, 234 adolescents (112 migraineurs and 122 non-migraine adolescents) aged 13-18 years were evaluated. A headache questionnaire as well as the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Children's Depression Inventory were completed to investigate the prevalence of headache, anxiety, and depression.

Results: The average age of participants was 15.77±2 years in the case group and 15.39±1.79 years in the control group. We found significantly higher levels of mild, moderate, and severe anxiety (38.4%, 23.2%and 23.2% respectively) in the migraine group compared to the control group (24.2%, 5.8%and 10.0% respectively) (p<0.001). Significantly more children in the control group (29.6%) than in the case group (10.1%) had a non-depressive CDI score (p=0.005). There was a significant difference between patients with moderate and severe anxiety in terms of attack frequency and duration. Depressed migraineurs recorded higher attack severities and frequencies than migraineurs without depression.

Conclusion: Anxiety and depression are common in adolescents with migraine and can be associated with more burdensome attacks.