Psychiatric comorbidity of headache in a medical relief camp in a rural area

BACKGROUND: Headache is one of the most common complaints seen by primary care physicians, but very few well-planned studies have been conducted to know its prevalence. AIM: To study the prevalence of headache and associated psychiatric morbidity. METHODS: A medical relief camp was held in village Mavta (near Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh) in 2002. Of a total of 1350 registered subjects, 80 with primary complaints of headache were referred to our expert team of psychiatrists. RESULTS: Sixty-nine subjects (86.25%) had psychiatric morbidity-mainly affective disorders (depression) and panic disorder, dysthymia, alcohol and nicotine dependence. Subjects with migraine and depression were mostly women with onset of symptoms at an early age. Subjects with less education; who were unmarried or had lost a spouse; those with a nuclear family; who were unemployed and those with a family history and past history of mental illness, were all susceptible to headache and depression. CONCLUSION: Disturbed sleep, free floating anxiety, sad mood, lack of pleasure, body ache and fatigue were the main presenting complaints along with headache.