Childhood trauma and dissociation in tertiary care patients with migraine and tension type headache: A controlled study

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research 2014-07, Vol.77 (1), p.40-44
• Main Authors: Kucukgoncu, Suat, Yildirim Ornek, Feride, Cabalar, Murat, Bestepe, Emrem, Yayla, Vildan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Case-Control Studies; Child; Dissociative; Dissociative Disorders; Female; Headache; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Migraine Disorders - complications; Migraine Disorders - psychology; Pain; Pain - complications; Psychiatry; Somatization; Somatoform; Stress, Physiological; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tension-Type Headache - complications; Tension-Type Headache - psychology; Tertiary Healthcare; Trauma
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2014.04.007

Abstract Objective The aims of this study were: i) to compare the severity of somatoform and psychoform dissociation and childhood trauma among migraine patients, tension-type headache patients (TTH), and healthy controls; and, ii) to identify any relationships between headache characteristics and dissociative symptoms and traumatic childhood experiences among tertiary care patients with headache. Methods The study sample consisted of 79 patients with migraine, 49 patients with TTH and 40 healthy controls. They completed the socio-demographic form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ). Results The average score for childhood emotional abuse was significantly higher in the TTH and migraine patients than in healthy controls; mean scores for emotional neglect and physical abuse were higher in TTH patients than healthy controls; and the total CTQ score was higher in TTH patients than in either migraine patients or healthy controls. Average DES scores were significantly higher in TTH patients versus migraine patients and controls; and SDQ scores were higher in both headache groups than in controls. Headache duration and severity were found to be significantly related to childhood abuse scores among migraine but not TTH patients. Conclusion Our findings support the evidence of a relationship between childhood trauma and migraines, and suggest that childhood traumatic events are common and deleteriously effect migraine characteristics. Also our study suggests that childhood trauma may have a role in TTH. Significant differences in the DES and SDQ scores between groups may be explained by the differences in childhood trauma experiences.