Migraine Stigma Still Hinders Treatment Opportunities

Results from the observational OVERCOME study show how stigma influences people with migraine.  Results show that, despite a cornucopia of new treatment options,  individuals with migraine are hesitant to seek treatment because they don’t believe their condition will be taken seriously. 

Approximately 1 of every 3 people (31.7%) with migraine surveyed reported experiencing migraine stigma often or very often. The most common stigmas experienced were the belief that migraine is not burdensome (29.1%) or that migraine is used for ulterior motive (14.8%).

Migraine-related stigma was associated with increased disability and worry between attacks as well as decreased quality of life as measured with the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), Migraine Interictal Burden Scale-4 (MIBS-4) score, and Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Role-Function Restrictive (MSQ-RFR) assessment.

Over 60,000 participants in OVERCOME were enrolled through a web-based survey over a 2-year period to evaluate migraine incidence, prevalence, burden, disability, and stigma. 

 Results also showed that across monthly headache days, migraine-related stigma was associated with increased disability and worry between attacks as well as decreased quality of life, as measured by Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), Migraine Interictal Burden Scale-4 (MIBS-4) score and Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Role-Function Restrictive (MSQ-RFR) assessment, respectively.

These data are being presented at the American Headache Society Meeting June 9-12, in Denver, CO.