Phobias, other psychiatric comorbidities and chronic migraine.
BACKGROUND
Comorbidity of chronic migraine (CM) with psychiatric disorders, mostly anxiety and mood disorders, is a well-recognized phenomenon. Phobias are one of the most common anxiety disorders in the general population. Phobias are more common in migraineurs than non-migraineurs. The clinical profile of phobias in CM has never been studied.


METHODS
We investigated the psychiatric profile in 56 patients with CM using the SCID I/P interview.


RESULTS
Lifetime criteria for at least one mental disorder was found in 87.5% of the sample; 75% met criteria for at least one lifetime anxiety disorder and 60.7% of our sample fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for lifetime phobic avoidant disorders. Mood and anxiety scores were higher in phobic patients than in non-phobic CM controls. Number of phobias correlated with higher levels of anxiety and depression.


CONCLUSIONS
Phobias are common in CM. Its recognition may influence its management. Early treatment may lead to better prognosis.
Corchs
Felipe
F
Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Mercante
Juliane P P
JP
Guendler
Vera Z
VZ
Vieira
Domingos S
DS
Masruha
Marcelo R
MR
Moreira
Frederico R
FR
Bernik
Marcio
M
Zukerman
Eliova
E
Peres
Mario F P
MF
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index