The Association Between Quality of Life and Clinical Characteristics Youth with Headaches

Headaches are common among youth, and frequently comorbid with psychological symptoms (e.g., anxiety/depressive symptoms), sleep problems, social and school interference, and decreased quality of life (QoL). In this study, 92 youth ages 7–17 years and their caregivers completed questionnaires examining;headache severity, physical and emotional functioning, clinical characteristics, and QoL of the youth. Child reported QoL was negatively correlated with child reported anger, anxiety and depressive symptoms, catastrophizing, sleep disturbance, and directly correlated with social role. However, child and caregiver reported QoL was not significantly associated with headache severity. Missed school days were negatively correlated with social roles and directly correlated with fatigue and sleep disturbance. Anger, anxiety and depressive symptoms, age, and gender did not moderate the relationship between headache severity and functional disability. Among youth with headaches, QoL is directly associated with worse psychosocial functioning, suggesting that pediatric headaches can have pervasive and debilitating effects on life.