Objectives: The aim of this observational study was to describe social support and patterns of attachment among patients with migraine. We hypothesized that in comparison to the general population, insecure attachment is overrepresented in migraine patients, and that these patients have less social support.
We also aimed to study the specific relationship between attachment and social support. We hypothesized that patients with an insecure attachment style have less social support than patients with a secure attachment style. Methods: A total of consecutive patients Patient's attachment style and social support influence the patient-doctor relationship, the therapeutic alliance and health behaviors such as treatment adherence.
Conclusions: Based on the data we obtained, we developed applications in patient care for people with particular attachment styles and low social support. We would also recommend encouraging patients to participate in support groups, in order to strengthen their attachment systems and gain social support. Migraine is a common disabling, recurrent headache disorder with a negative effect on quality of life. The multifactorial origin of migraine includes genetic, psychological and environmental factors, which leads to a complex pathophysiology.
Psychological studies have reported the role of anxiety and depression 2 , 3. Other psychological factors such as stress, coping, attachment and social support have also been studied, focusing on the level of disability 4 — 7. The attachment styles that characterize human relationships have been described using two main theoretical models 8. The first model differentiates between three attachment styles: secure, preoccupied and avoidant 9.
The second model subdivides the avoidant style into fearful and dismissing In this four-style model, each style is defined by the relationship the subject has with themselves and others Adults with a secure attachment style feel confident with others and with themselves. In contrast, adults with insecure attachment styles are excessively worried about their relationships or do not care about having close relationships.
