Migraine-Related Stigma in Adults With Current Versus Previous High-Frequency Migraine and Acute Medication Overuse: Results of the Harris Poll Migraine Report Card Survey
Dawn C Buse1, Roger Cady2, Amaal J Starling3, Meghan Buzby4, Charlie Spinale5, Kathy Steinberg6, Steven Kymes7
1Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 2RK Consults, 3Mayo Clinic, 4Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients, 5The Harris Poll, New York, 6The Harris Poll, 7Lundbeck LLC
Objective:
To evaluate self-reported stigma in US adults with high-frequency headache/migraine (HFM) and acute medication overuse (AMO).
Background:
While the increasing frequency of migraine is associated with greater disability and comorbidities, data of stigma relating to HFM+AMO are limited.
Design/Methods:
US adults (≥18yr) who screened positive for migraine on the validated “ID Migraine” completed a 15-minute online survey. Respondents were classified into “current HFM+AMO” (≥8 days/month with headache/migraine with ≥10 days/month of acute headache medication use) or “previous HFM+AMO” (previously experienced HFM, but currently experiencing headache ≤7 days/month with ≤9 days/month of acute medication use). The 8-item Stigma Scale for Chronic Illnesses (SSCI-8) assessed internal and external stigma. Statistically significant differences were detected by standard t-test at 90% and 95% confidence levels.
Results:
US adults (N=550) were classified as having current (n=440, 54% women, mean age 41.1yr, 57% White) or previous (n=110, 49% women, mean age 47.2yr, 75% White) HFM+AMO. Adults with current HFM+AMO were more likely than those with previous HFM+AMO to always/often experience 6 of 8 SSCI-8 measures (P<0.1). Women with current HFM+AMO were more likely than women with previous HFM+AMO to always/often experience 7 SSCI-8 measures (P<0.1). Of those with current HFM+AMO, men were more likely than women to always/often feel embarrassed about their illness, feel people avoided looking at them, and say people were unkind to them (P<0.1); younger respondents (18-49yr) were more likely than older respondents (≥50yr) to always/often experience 6 SSCI-8 measures (P<0.1); and Black respondents were more likely than white respondents to always/often feel embarrassed and feel that people were unkind to them (P<0.1).
Conclusions:
US adults with current HFM+AMO were more likely to experience stigma due to migraine than those with previous HFM+AMO, particularly women. Certain stigma experiences were significantly more common in men, younger adults, and Black adults with current HFM+AMO.