Jan 25 2009
Migraines And Mental Illness Related?
A new study seems to indicate that mood disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depression, and bipolar disorder are related to migraines.
In the study Gregory Ratcliffe at the department of psychiatry at the University of Manitoba in Canada and his colleagues examined the data from 4,181 individuals in the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey. Trained interviewers evaluated participants for mental illnesses while physicians diagnosed participants with migraines.
They found 11% of participants suffered from migraines and that they had a variety of mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depression, substance abuse disorders, panic disorder, panic attacks, simple phobia, dysthymia, and agoraphobia.
The authors of the study considered two theories as to why mental illnesses and migraines are related. First, they considered a common variable might be responsible both conditions - such as low activity in enzymes, which might be affecting chemical messages sent to the brain.
Second, they considered a causal relationship between mental illnesses and migraines. Mainly, they assert that this study as well as others support the idea that anxiety leads to migraines, which in turn leads to depression.
The researchers assert it is important for individuals to be assessed for both migraines and mental illnesses because treating one condition may help the other.
Source:
Psych Central: Migraines Often Linked to Mood Disorders
