title: Chronic daily headache: stress and impact on the quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the stress presence and its influence in the quality of life of patients with chronic daily headache (CDH).
  
  
  METHODS
  A hundred patients with at least 18 years old, with primary headache with duration greater than 4 hours a day, and frequency of 15 or more days monthly for at least three months were studied. Lipp's Inventory of Stress Symptoms and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36) were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stress was observed in 90% of the patients; nearly half of them was in the phase almost exhaustion. Patients with stress when compared with the ones with no stress presented significantly lower scores in all the domains of SF-36; except in physical functioning. The resistance phase presented scores significantly higher than almost exhaustion; except for bodily pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of the patients presented stress with significant reduction in their quality of life. Consequently, the stress could be related with both the development and the maintenance of CDH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Medical School of São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto SP, Brazil. jcgalego@superig.com.br
authors.forename: José Carlos Busto
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Galego
authors.forename: Avelina Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.forename: Waldir Antonio
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Tognola
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors