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The lived experience of chronic headache : a systematic review and synthesis of the qualitative literature

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CHESS team (Including: Nichols, Vivien P., Ellard, David R., Griffiths, Frances, Kamal, Atiya, Underwood, Martin and Taylor, Stephanie J. C.). (2017) The lived experience of chronic headache : a systematic review and synthesis of the qualitative literature. BMJ Open, 7 (12). e019929. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019929

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019929

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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.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: R Medicine > RC Internal medicine
Divisions: Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences > Clinical Trials Unit
Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences
Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Headache, Migraine, Systematic reviews (Medical research)
Journal or Publication Title: BMJ Open
Publisher: BMJ
ISSN: 2044-6055
Official Date: 1 December 2017
Dates:
DateEvent
1 December 2017Published
15 December 2017Available
4 October 2017Accepted
Volume: 7
Number: 12
Article Number: e019929
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019929
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Open Access
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
ISRCTN 79708100Programme Grants for Applied Researchhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100007602
UNSPECIFIEDNational Institute for Health Researchhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000272

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