Couples Living with Chronic Migraines: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Chronic migraine (CM) is a leading cause of disability, worldwide. Research examining the systemic effects of CM is scant. Specifically, little is understood about the effects of migraine on CM patients' partners. Furthermore, the relational experiences of couples who deal with CM has been largely unexplored. Coming to better understand the systemic effects of migraine on couple relationships could enable more holistic biopsychosocial care for CM patients and their families. We utilized a phenomenological approach to study the CM experience in the context of couple relationships. We conducted dyadic interviews with eight chronic migraine patients and their partners about their experiences dealing with CM (N = 16). Six of the eight partners in our sample were also interviewed individually about their experience (14 interviews total). Data were gathered and analyzed using an iterative process. A team of seven researchers utilized an immersion/crystallization technique to analyze the data. Three major themes emerged from the analyses: (1) burdens and costs of migraines on partners, (2) coping with CM for partners, and (3) couple experience. Findings indicated that: partners of CM patients experience caregiving burdens; accepting the disorder's burdens and long-term presence appears to vitally improve coping for CM patients and partners alike; and couples dealing with CM experience both balance and imbalance in the perceived relational giving and taking that occurs between them. Suggestions for future research and the clinical implications of our study are provided.

Receiving Medical Care for Chronic Migraines: A Phenomenological Study

“…Principally, our findings imply that while doing what they could to alleviate migraine symptoms pharmacologically, PCPs also could help patients with CM find better behavioral and psychological approaches to managing their disorder 14 . Providers could refer patients with CM to behavioral health specialists or involve them on integrated patient treatment teams to facilitate this process 17 . Because stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms are predictive of CM disease severity, doing so could help ameliorate CM symptoms 24 .…”

“…14 Providers could refer patients with CM to behavioral health specialists or involve them on integrated patient treatment teams to facilitate this process. 17 Because stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms are predictive of CM disease severity, doing so could help ameliorate CM symptoms. 24 By engaging in shared decision making with patients and offering relevant medical education, PCPs could help patients to cease endlessly searching for a cure and to instead focus on learning to manage CM as effectively as possible.…”

“…We chose to include partners in our study and to conduct dyadic interviews because of extant research suggesting that the partners of patients with CM frequently act as caregivers for the patients and are highly involved in migraine treatment. [15][16][17] We used the immersion/crystallization analysis strategy, 18 a method recommended for medical research. 19,20 Analysts using this method engage in iterative cycles of deep immersion with collected data and careful reflection upon intuitive insights (crystallizations) that emerge until reportable interpretations are reached.…”

“…We used phenomenology to study the experiences of our participants. We chose to include partners in our study and to conduct dyadic interviews because of extant research suggesting that the partners of patients with CM frequently act as caregivers for the patients and are highly involved in migraine treatment 15–17 . We used the immersion/crystallization analysis strategy, 18 a method recommended for medical research 19,20 .…”

Analyzing the Role of Stress and Rumination in Tension-Type Headaches and Migraine

“…ension-type headaches and migraines are common neurological conditions that significantly impact patients' quality of life. These disorders are often accompanied by various psychological issues, which can influence their severity and frequency (McPhee, 2018). For example, depression is more associated with migraines, while anxiety is more associated with tension-type headaches compared to healthy controls.…”