Idiopathic Headaches: Relationship to Life Events

SYNOPSIS 228 patients were interviewed using Paykel's list. The aim of this study was to detect possible differences among vascular, tension and tension‐vascular headaches with special attention to stressing events preceding the onset of headache. The statistical analysis of the results showed significant differences among the groups studied for the weight of life events in the 10 years prior to the onset of headache. Minor differences emerged for the year immediately prior to the headache onset. Particular differences were also observed in the distribution of life events with the aid of qualitative analysis. Worthy of notice is the fact that the migraineurs tested resuIted to be less damaged by stress than the other patients.