February 13 Highlight and Commentary
Predictors of depression in patients referred to headache specialists
Citation Manager Formats
Make Comment
See Comments

Depression in patients with headache
Jelinski et al. analyzed prospectively collected data from 712 patients referred to headache specialists. Factors independently associated with depression were younger age; being unemployed, on disability pension, or welfare; being widowed, separated, or divorced; and a diagnosis of transformed migraine or headache associated with head trauma or cervical spine disorder.
see page 489
Predictors of depression in patients referred to headache specialists
Commentary by Linda S. Williams, MD, and Matthew J. Bair, MD, MS
Pain and depression not only commonly co-occur, but this co-occurrence is also associated with increased morbidity vs either condition alone, negatively impacts treatment response for either condition, and may share common neurotransmitter and neurophysiologic pathways.1,2 This co-occurrence has been documented in primary care settings, in patients referred to a general neurology outpatient clinic, and specifically in patients with headache.3–5
Although the relationship between pain and depression is widely accepted, the bidirectional nature of this relationship remains complex and not fully elucidated. Depression amplifies the physiologic response to pain. Similarly, pain-related functional limitations frequently lead to the development of depressive symptoms. Jelinski et al. highlight this relationship in patients with headache, and further explore associations between specific headache types and depression.6 As expected, this study found a high prevalence of depression (27) among the total sample of headache patients, with the highest prevalence in those with transformed migraine, head trauma, or cervical spine disease. When headache type was controlled for in the analysis, remaining factors associated with depression included younger age, being unemployed or on disability/welfare, being more socially isolated, and reporting greater headache impact and disability.
Although the study is limited by inherent selection bias, by its cross-sectional nature, and by a lack of control for clustering of observations within sites, this study reminds us that the care of patients with headache should include standardized depression screening. Moreover, a subsequent plan for guideline-based depression treatment is a part of providing high quality care. Despite the “Psychiatry” in the accrediting American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, neurologists often leave depression screening and treatment to psychiatrists and primary care providers. This study underscores the fact that patients with headache, especially chronic debilitating headache, frequently have co-existing major depressive disorder. Neglecting depression assessment and subsequent treatment may thus negatively impact the response to headache treatments. Moreover, antidepressants have been shown to be effective in the treatment of chronic headache.7,8 Given the common co-occurrence and overlapping treatments between headache and depression, we need to develop innovative treatment models that incorporate assessment and treatment of both conditions in order to delivery quality care and improve patient outcomes.
see page 489
References
- 1.↵
- 2.
- 3.↵
Williams LS, Jones WJ, Shen J, Robinson RL, Weinberger M, Kroenke K. Prevalence and impact of depression and pain in neurology outpatients. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1587–1589.
- 4.
Williams LS, Jones WJ, Shen J, Robinson RL, Kroenke K. Outcomes of newly referred neurology outpatients with depression and pain. Neurology 2004;63:674–677.
- 5.
Breslau N, Lipton RB, Stewart WF, Schultz LR, Welch KM. Comorbidity of migraine and depression: investigating potential etiology and prognosis. Neurology 2003;43:117–121.
- 6.↵
Jelinski, et al. Neurology 2007;68:489–495.
- 7.↵
- 8.
Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence
NOTE: All authors' disclosures must be entered and current in our database before comments can be posted. Enter and update disclosures at http://submit.neurology.org. Exception: replies to comments concerning an article you originally authored do not require updated disclosures.
- Stay timely. Submit only on articles published within the last 8 weeks.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- 200 words maximum.
- 5 references maximum. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- 5 authors maximum. Exception: replies can include all original authors of the article.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.