What Are the Psychosocial Factors Associated With Migraine in the Child? Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders, Family Functioning, Parenting Style, or Mom's Psychiatric Symptoms?

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric diagnoses, parenting style, family functioning among children and adolescents with migraine, and psychiatric symptoms of their mothers were examined.

METHODS: The K-SADS and other measurements were used to assess psychiatric disorders in 50 children with migraine (aged 8-18) and matched 50 controls.

RESULTS: At least one psychiatric disorder was diagnosed in 56% of the migraine group. The presence of any psychiatric disorder in children (odds ratio [OR] = 2.765, P = .027) and somatization symptoms in their mothers (OR = 2.061, P = .025) were increasing the risk of migraine diagnosis. The parenting style scale assessments revealed that parents in the migraine group grant their children less autonomy.

CONCLUSION: Psychiatric comorbidity, especially depression and anxiety disorders, is more common in children with migraine. The frequency of eating disorder is also higher. Evaluating comorbidity, family functioning, and particularly affective responsiveness in migraine families may guide the clinician to a targeted treatment plan.