HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Correspondence: Submit a response Correspondence: View responses Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wang, S.-J. Articles by Lu, S.-R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wang, S.-J. Articles by Lu, S.-R. Related Collections All Headache Migraine Pediatric headache

Migraine and suicidal ideation in adolescents aged 13 to 15 years

From the Departments of Neurology (S.-J.W., J.-L.F.), National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei; Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute (S.-J.W., J.-L.F.), Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei; Dr. Soul Mental Health Center (K.-D.J.), Taipei; and Department of Neurology (S.-R.L.), Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Shuu-Jiun Wang, The Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112, Taiwan sjwang{at}vghtpe.gov.tw

Background: Awareness is growing among clinicians of the importance of suicidal ideation in adolescents.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between migraine and suicidal ideation in a nonreferred sample of adolescents.

Methods: This study surveyed migraine and depression in three middle schools in Taitung County, Taiwan. All students completed the questionnaires, including demographics, a validated headache questionnaire, the Adolescent Depression Inventory (ADI), and the Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment (PedMIDAS) questionnaire. This study used the presence or absence of suicidal ideation as indicated by the ADI for the analysis.

Results: A total of 3,963 (2,040 male and 1,923 female; mean age 14.0 ± 0.9 years) adolescents (93% of the target cohort) completed this study. Suicidal ideation was reported in 8.5% of the study group. Compared with nonmigraine subjects (6.2%), subjects with migraine displayed a higher frequency of suicidal ideation (16.1%; odds ratio [OR] = 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3–3.6; p < 0.001), especially those with migraine with aura (23.9%; OR = 4.6 [95% CI 3.0–7.0]; p < 0.001). Suicidal ideation was associated with higher headache frequency and headache-related disability as measured by the PedMIDAS. After controlling for depression score and sociodemographic characteristics, the association remained only for migraine with aura (adjusted OR = 1.79 [95% CI 1.07–2.99]; p = 0.025) and high headache frequency (>7 days/month; adjusted OR = 1.69 [95% CI 1.12–2.56]; p = 0.013) but not for migraine without aura or probable migraine or PedMIDAS score.

Conclusions: This study identified a higher frequency of suicidal ideation in younger adolescents with migraine with aura or high headache frequency. These associations were independent of depressive symptoms.

ADI = Adolescent Depression Inventory; AOR = adjusted odds ratio; CI = confidence interval; 5-HT = serotonin; ICHD-2 = International Classification of Headache Disorders, Second Edition; MINI-Kid = Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview–Kid; OR = odds ratio; PedMIDAS = Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment.

Supported in part by grants from Taipei Veterans General Hospital and Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital.

Disclosure: The authors report no disclosures.

Received September 3, 2008. Accepted in final form December 5, 2008.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Parisi, S.-J. Wang, J.-L. Fuh, K.-D. Juang, and S.-R. Lu MIGRAINE AND SUICIDAL IDEATION IN ADOLESCENTS AGED 13 TO 15 YEARS Neurology, November 17, 2009; 73(20): 1713 - 1714. [Full Text] [PDF]

Correspondence: