Mental Maze of Migraines: A Qualitative Exploration of Psychological Issues

Abstract

Migraines place a heavy burden on sufferers—both personally and in terms of reduced activity and personal suffering—as well as on society—due to the high expense of the condition. Migraine is ranked as the most burdensome neurological disorder to society by the World Health Organization, and the sixth highest cause of disability worldwide. This indicates that migraine has become increasingly burdensome on an international scale, which hinders the routine functioning and processes of patients. One of the more recent psychological viewpoints on the migraine issue is the connection between migraine and mental health problems.

Objective: Objective of the present research is to find out the participants’ experiences and cultural expression of psychological problems associated with migraine.

Method: Qualitative research method was used, and data was collected through in-depth interviews with 14 migraine patients taken from different hospitals in Punjab province.  The data was analyzed by using thematic analysis.

Results: Inductive thematic analysis approach was carried out on the responses given by the migraine patients to identify the major themes. The analysis resulted in 3 super-ordinate themes (Anxiety Related Problems, Depression Related Issues, Negative (emotions/thoughts), 8 themes (Cognitive impairment, Behavioral manifestation, Physiological indicators, Decline in cognitive abilities, Behavioral expression, Physiological problems, Negative thoughts, Negative emotions) and 30 subthemes.

Conclusion: The findings of this study underscore the significant impact of migraines on patients’ mental health, revealing a heightened prevalence of anxiety, depression, and negative thoughts and emotions among individuals grappling with this chronic condition.