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Factors Associated With Burden of Primary
Headache In a Specialty Clinic
Cassidy EM, Tomkins E, Hardiman O, O’Keane
V.
Posted September 2003
Headache. 2003;43:638-644

Objective: To examine factors associated with social, occupational, and psychological burden of common primary headache (migraine and tension-type headache).

Background: The personal and social burden of primary headache is high. Health, occupational, social, and psychological factors contributing to burden in people with disabling headache have not been fully unraveled.

Conclusion: The number of days per month with headache is a key determinant of headache-related burden in those attending specialty clinics. Frequent (chronic) headache is associated with significantly higher psychopathology scores and general social impairment, but the direction of this relationship is not clear. Those with migraine and chronicity are the most impaired.