MIGRAINE, PERSONALITY, AND PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITY

The purpose of this report is to examine the association between migra ine and personality, taking into account history of co-occurring psych iatric disorders. Data came from an epidemiologic study of young adult s in the Detroit, Michigan metropolitan area. Migraine, defined accord ing to 1988 IHS criteria, and major depression and anxiety disorders w ere ascertained by a structured diagnostic interview. Migraine was ass ociated with neuroticism, but not with extraversion or psychoticism, m easured by the Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire. The association re mained significant, when sex and history of major depression and anxie ty disorders were controlled. An excess of 25% of persons with migrain e alone, uncomplicated by psychiatric comorbidity, scored in the highe st quartile of neuroticism. The results suggest that migraine sufferer s might be more vulnerable to psychopathology and poor adjustment to t heir medical condition.