The UK migraine patient survey: quality of life and treatment

Abstract

This research confirms that a majority of migraine sufferers in the UK acknowledge an incidence, frequency and symptomatology that have a significant effect on quality of life (both activity-based and on personal relationships); despite this, a significant proportion self-medicate with unsuitable and ineffective agents owing to the low level of efficacy and general lack of satisfaction with recommended and prescribed therapies. 50,000 migraineurs (sample derived from the Consumer Research Bureau) in the UK were invited to self-complete a questionnaire (during Q2-Q3, 1998). 9770 questionnaires were included in the analysis. With the advent of improved diagnosis and medications, the present study was undertaken to assess the impact and severity of migraine on the normal activities, attitudes and relationships of known migraineurs. The efficacy and control achieved by a range of therapeutic interventions were also considered. In order to identify the headache characteristics of this self-selected migraine patient population, diagnosis was confirmed by information relating to quality of headache (frequency, duration and symptomatology); the extent of restrictions on specific daily activities was also used to provide severity characteristics. A majority believed that they could not control their migraine and a significant proportion believed that migraine controlled their day-to-day life. Despite this, sufferers may not consult general practitioners (GPs) owing to previous experience, expectations of inadequate therapeutic intervention and/or perceived lack of physician empathy. This study is both opinion-based and awareness-based, and confirms known statistics while also providing further clarification on the overall effect of migraine on associated emotional and physical relationships, and on migraineurs' use and opinion of a range of available medications.