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Depression and Disability in Migraine: The Role of Pain Acceptance and Values-Based Action

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Abstract

Background

Migraine is a complex neurological disorder that substantially impairs a person’s functioning and is often comorbid with depression. Currently, little is known about psychological coping strategies that may underlie disability and depression in patients with migraine.

Purpose

This study examines concurrent relations between depression and disability on the one hand and pain acceptance and values-based action on the other hand in patients with migraine.

Method

Ninety-three patients with migraine and depressive symptoms—being evaluated for a larger project examining the impact of a behavioral intervention on depression in patients with migraine—completed measures of depression, disability, pain acceptance, and values-based action. Using multiple regression analyses, the contributions of pain acceptance and values-based action to depression and disability were assessed.

Results

Low pain acceptance was strongly associated with depression and disability (r s 2 = .15–.37) in these patients. Low pain acceptance also explained unique variance in disability, beyond that of depression. Values-based action related modestly to depression and disability (r s 2 = .02–.07).

Conclusion

Pain acceptance can contribute to our understanding of psychological health and functioning. An important next step would be to examine whether targeting acceptance in treatment of patients with migraine would lead to improvements in their mental health and functioning.

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Notes

  1. The majority of participants who completed the screening either did not meet the cutoffs for the PHQ or the required number of migraine days [4–12] in the previous month.

  2. All analyses were run with both the CPVI-Success and CPVI-Discrepancy scales. Results were unchanged and thus, the CPVI-Success scale results are reported in this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Psychiatry Research MEB 2-203, Iowa City, IA, 52242-1000, USA

    Lilian Dindo & Carolyn Turvey

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, E11 Seashore Hall, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    James Marchman & Michael O’Hara

  3. Department of Neurology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, 2-180 B-RCP, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Ana Recober

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  1. Lilian Dindo
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  2. Ana Recober
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  3. James Marchman
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Correspondence to Lilian Dindo.

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Dindo, L., Recober, A., Marchman, J. et al. Depression and Disability in Migraine: The Role of Pain Acceptance and Values-Based Action. Int.J. Behav. Med. 22, 109–117 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-014-9390-x

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