Prevalence of migraine among adults with mood disorders: a Saudi cross-sectional study

Journal Article

2025

Abstract
Background Migraine is characterized by recurrent headaches and frequently coexists with depressive and bipolar
disorders, exacerbating disability and complicating management. Data on this association in Saudi Arabia remain
limited, however.
Objectives This study aims to investigate how mood disorders and migraine occur together in the Saudi context and
understand the extent of disability that migraine may cause in patients with mood disorders.
Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted involving adult patients with mood disorders at a tertiary hospital
in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling. The research instrument consisted
of a questionnaire developed by the research team to assess sociodemographic factors, along with the Arabic version
of the Migraine Screen Questionnaire (MS-Q) for migraine screening and the Arabic version of the Migraine Disability
Assessment Scale (MIDAS) to quantify migraine-related disability.
Results A total of 206 participants were included, 10.68% of whom had a prior diagnosis of migraine and 20.87%
screened positive for migraine on the MS-Q. The average MS-Q score was 1.48 ± 1.86 and MIDAS score 6.81 ± 19.3,
indicating mild to moderate disability. Among those with migraine, 31.25% had severe migraine-related disability.
The multivariate analysis identified female sex, psychiatric comorbidity, sleep quality, and family history of migraine as
significant predictors for migraine. There was no correlation with age, income, employment status, snoring, or mood
disorder type.
Conclusion The results confirm that migraine is a prevalent and disabling comorbidity among individuals with mood
disorders, with female sex, family history of migraine, poor sleep quality, and psychiatric comorbidities increasing the
risk of migraine. Thus, routine migraine screening in psychiatric settings may improve diagnosis, management, and
patient outcomes.
Keywords Bipolar disorder, Depression, Disability, Migraine, Mood disorders, Saudi Arabia

 

Citation: Almadani, A.H., Alghamdi, A.H., Bashandi, A.A. et al. Prevalence of migraine among adults with mood disorders: a Saudi cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry 25, 1132 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07601-w