Changing Misperceptions About Migraine to Address Stigma to Improve Care

Living with an invisible yet debilitating condition comes with a unique set of challenges. For the more than 30 million adults living with migraine in the U.S., those challenges are amplified by a general lack of understanding in our society about this complex neurologic disease.¹ Many aren’t aware that migraine is much more than a bad headache or the extent of the impact migraine can have on everyday life. Ultimately, these misperceptions can negatively impact migraine care and outcomes for individuals living with migraine.

Understandably, many may feel the need to put on a brave face and push through the pain even as they potentially experience migraine-related stigma from coworkers, friends, and family. Eli Lilly and Company’s OVERCOME study—the largest population-based web survey of its kind in migraine and, to our knowledge, the first to examine migraine-related stigma at a population level—found that more than 40 percent of individuals without migraine who knew at least one person with migraine felt that it is used as an excuse to avoid family, work, or school commitments, and almost 1 in 3 people believed those with migraine make things more difficult for their co-workers.² On the contrary, the study revealed that approximately 1 in 3 people diagnosed with migraine believe they have experienced migraine-related stigma often or very often and that others minimized the burden of migraine or that others viewed migraine as being used to obtain or avoid something.³

The migraine-related stigma individuals face may cause them to downplay their symptoms. Among those who experience migraine symptoms, approximately half hesitated to seek care for migraine for a variety of reasons, including concerns their migraine would not be taken seriously and not believing their migraine attacks were serious or painful enough. ⁴ And of those who seek care, many are not receiving the treatment or care they need. In fact, half of those seeing a neurologist for migraine did not discuss impact at their most recent visit.⁵

Because stigma may lead individuals to minimize the impact migraine has on their lives, even in conversations with their care team, there must be a renewed focus on effective provider-patient conversations and an effort to discuss symptoms, impact, and treatment outcomes every visit.

As a health care provider, it’s crucial to consider potential issues that might interfere with effective communication and help patients feel more comfortable sparking open and honest conversations about migraine. Talking to your patients and asking important questions such as how many days migraine impacts their life, including the burden between attacks, can lead to more informed treatment decisions. Asking such questions can also help health care providers when recommending certain medications to a patient. Less than 1 in 3 individuals impacted by migraine have sought care for migraine, or have been diagnosed with and are taking recommended acute medication for migraine.⁶ Among individuals who are candidates for preventive treatment, less than 1 in 5 have sought care for migraine, or have been diagnosed with and are taking recommended preventive medication for migraine⁷ (ie, people with migraine are not receiving the care they need or deserve). With consistent communication during every visit, you can better help migraine patients determine a personalized plan for managing their condition.

Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach, we, alongside healthcare professionals and people living with migraine and their loved ones, can help support the migraine community.

To learn more about the OVERCOME study and addressing stigma to improve care, please visit Lilly.com.

©Lilly USA, LLC 2022. All rights reserved.