Negative Emotions and Tension Headache: A multi variate Perspective

The paper investigates the synergistic role of anger, anxiety and depression in distinguishing tension headache (TH) patients from the normals (N=60 in each group). Six variables, trait anger, trait anxiety, suppression (anger-in), expression (anger-out), anger control and depression were subjected to step wise discriminant analysis. Four variables in combination formed the discriminant function that distinguished the TH patients from the controls. Depression was the strongest discriminator followed by trait anger, anger-in and anger-out. These findings indicate that depression, trait anger; and both suppression and expression of anger are vital features in persons with TH. Thus the emotional configuration that distinguishes the TH group from controls can be contemplated as an important psychological factors while evaluating and managing head pain. The present study recommends exploration of the specific role of negative and positive affective configuration along with social and biological aspects of pain and its management.