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Headache and mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of American youth

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Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the association between headache and mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of American youth. We used the National Comorbidity Survey–Adolescent Supplement to assess sex-specific prevalence of lifetime migraine and non-migraine headache using modified International Headache Society criteria and examine associations between headache subtypes and DSM-IV mental disorders. Adolescent report (n = 10,123) was used to identify headache subtypes and anxiety, mood, eating, and substance use disorders. ADHD and behavior disorder were based on parent report (n = 6483). Multivariate logistic regression analyses controlling for key demographic characteristics were used to examine associations between headache and mental disorders. Headache was endorsed by 26.9% (SE = 0.7) of the total sample and was more prevalent among females. Youth with headache were more than twice as likely (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.94–3.83) to meet criteria for a DSM-IV disorder. Migraine, particularly with aura, was associated with depression and anxiety (adjusted OR 1.90–2.90) and with multiple classes of disorders. Adolescent headache, particularly migraine, is associated with anxiety, mood, and behavior disorders in a nationally representative sample of US youth. Headache is highly prevalent among youth with mental disorders, and youth with headache should be assessed for comorbid depression and anxiety that may influence treatment, severity, and course of both headache and mental disorders.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, ZIAMH002808).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, 35 Convent Drive, MSC 3720, Bldg 35A, Room 2E420-F, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Rebecca Hommer, Tarannum Lateef, Jian-Ping He & Kathleen Merikangas

  2. Department of Neurology, Children’s National Health System, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA

    Tarannum Lateef

Authors
  1. Rebecca Hommer
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  2. Tarannum Lateef
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  3. Jian-Ping He
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  4. Kathleen Merikangas
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Correspondence to Rebecca Hommer.

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Hommer, R., Lateef, T., He, JP. et al. Headache and mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of American youth. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 31, 39–49 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01599-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01599-0

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