A BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL FOR CLINIMETRIC ASSESSMENT OF MIGRAINE: A PILOT STUDY

Migraine has widely been associated with an increased prevalence of psychosocial and mental health difficulties. The aim of this pilot study is to assess well-being, distress, disability, perception and beliefs about the state of health and illness in a group of patients with migraine without aura. It also considers if there are significant differences between patients with episodic and chronic migraine. A sample of 30 outpatients (15 with episodic migraine, 15 with chronic migraine) underwent the following interviewer- rated and self-rated psychometric evaluation: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorder (SCID), Interview for the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR), Psychosocial Index (PSI), Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), Symptom Questionnaire (SQ), Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) and Illness Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ). Pearson’s coefficient was used to analyse correlations between psychological and psychosocial variables. Chronic migraine patients showed significantly higher levels of migraine disability (MIDAS) (p=0.03), worse illness perception (B-IPQ) (p=0.00) and higher scores in psychological vs. somatic functioning (IBQ) (p=0.05) compared to episodic migraine patients. Moreover, most patients consider the psychological problems as the main causal factor of their illness, present with allostatic load and high prevalence of DCPR syndromes. The correlations between index of disability, perception of illness, abnormal illness behaviour and some psychosomatic syndromes were positive and significant. The results confirm the need to assess migraine within the biopsychosocial model.