The lived experience of chronic headache: a systematic review and synthesis of the qualitative literature.
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ABSTRACT: Objective
To systematically review the qualitative literature of the lived experience of people with a chronic headache disorder.Background
Chronic headaches affect 3%-4% of the population. The most common chronic headache disorders are chronic migraine, chronic tension-type headache and medication overuse headache. We present a systematic review and meta-ethnographic synthesis of the lived experience of people with chronic headache.Methods
We searched seven electronic databases, hand-searched nine journals and used a modified Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist to appraise study quality. Following thematic analysis we synthesised the data using a meta-ethnographic approach.Results
We identified 3586 unique citations; full texts were examined for 86 studies and 4 were included in the review. Included studies differed in their foci: exploring, patient-centred outcomes, chronic headache as a socially invisible disease, psychological processes mediating impaired quality of life, and the process of medication overuse. Initial thematic analysis and subsequent synthesis gave three overarching themes: 'headache as a driver of behaviour' (directly and indirectly), 'the spectre of headache' and 'strained relationships'.Conclusion
This meta-synthesis of published qualitative evidence demonstrates that chronic headaches have a profound effect on people's lives, showing similarities with other pain conditions. There were insufficient data to explore the similarities and differences between different chronic headache disorders.
SUBMITTER: Nichols VP
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5778309 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
The lived experience of chronic headache: a systematic review and synthesis of the qualitative literature.
Nichols Vivien P VP Ellard David R DR Griffiths Frances E FE Kamal Atiya A Underwood Martin M Taylor Stephanie J C SJC
BMJ open 20171215 12
<h4>Objective</h4>To systematically review the qualitative literature of the lived experience of people with a chronic headache disorder.<h4>Background</h4>Chronic headaches affect 3%-4% of the population. The most common chronic headache disorders are chronic migraine, chronic tension-type headache and medication overuse headache. We present a systematic review and meta-ethnographic synthesis of the lived experience of people with chronic headache.<h4>Methods</h4>We searched seven electronic da ...[more]
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