Stress Related Determinants of Anxiety and Depression in Young Girls with Chronic Headache

Abstract

Girls with chronic headache often suffer also from marked anxiety and depression. The present study used psychological and biological characteristics related to stress load and stress coping to predict anxiety and depression. This was done by regression analysis. Anxiety could be better explained than depression. Psychological and physiological stress load played a significant role, but not activity of HPA axis, although cortisol awakening response was heightened specifically for headache sufferers.