title: Correlation Between Life Events and Quality of Life in Patients with Medication-Overuse Headache.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study aimed to determine (a) the correlation between type and number of stressful life events and quality of life in patients with medication-overuse headache (MOH) and (b) whether stressful life events could be attributed to medication overuse and the conversion of headache to a chronic type.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study included 114 patients aged between 15 and 65 years who met the criteria for headache classification of International Headache Society (IHS). The patients were divided into three groups according to the revised 2004 IHS classification; MOH (n=64), chronic migraine (n=25) and episodic migraine (n=25). Detailed data on clinical and sociodemographic characteristics were recorded. Neurological and physical examinations were performed for differential diagnosis. The patients underwent structured clinical interviews for DSM-IV Inventory (SCID-I), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Life Events List. Scores of these inventories were statistically compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparing MOH group with episodic migraine group via SF-36, statistically significant decreases were observed in the subscales of physical role limitation (p=.024), pain (p=.0001), general health (p=.043) and social functioning (p=.004). There was a statistically significant correlation between the number of life events and the time the disease became chronic in the patient group with non-MOH chronic migraine (p=.027). Moreover, a statistically significant correlation was observed between stressful family life events and the body pain subscale of quality of life scale (p=.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrates that stressful life events impair quality of life in patients with MOH. It was also found that number of stressful life events could be attributed to the conversion of headache to a chronic type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Altintaş
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Başak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karakurum Göksel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nilgün
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Taşkintuna
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Çağla
authors.initials: Ç
authors.lastname: Saritürk
keywords: Medication-overuse headache; quality of life; stressful life events