Quality of life, depression, and anxiety 6 months after inpatient withdrawal in patients with medication overuse headache: an observational study
The Clinical Journal of Pain, 04/09/2012
Zebenholzer Z et al. – QoL is impaired in patients with medication overuse headache (MOH), and many patients are depressed and anxious. Inpatient withdrawal therapy lead to a statistically significant improvement of QoL, depression, and anxiety. Poor baseline mental QoL as well as depression and anxiety are associated with poor outcome in terms of headache frequency.
Methods- 42 patients undergoing the usual regimen established for inpatient withdrawal therapy at the department completed a structured questionnaires (the Short Form–36 health survey, Self–Rating Depression Scale, and Self–Rating Anxiety Scale) immediately before inpatient withdrawal.
- Six months after withdrawal, they were examined again with the same questionnaires.
- Thirty–two patients (27 female) aged 46.8±9.4 years could be interviewed twice.
- At baseline, QoL was decreased compared with normative data (z–scores ranging from –1.2 to –2.0).
- Depression was present in 65.6% and anxiety disorder in 71.9% of the patients.
- At follow–up, physical QoL (P<0.001) and mental QoL (P=0.019) had improved, but QoL was still impaired (z–scores ranging from –0.3 to –1.3).
- Depression and anxiety scores had decreased significantly.
- Poor mental QoL and high scores of depression and anxiety at baseline correlated with frequent headaches at follow–up (P=0.013, P=0.024, and P=0.008, respectively).
