J. A. R. Schulkes: Psychological factors associated with headache
This article consists of an overview of psychological factors associated with the development and persistance of psychofysiological and conversive- hypochondriac types of headaches.
In the first part various historical, cultural, social and medical-somatic aspects of such complaints are discussed. Attention is called to genera] pain problems and the relationship between pain the headache.
The main part of the article consists of an exposition of what different authors regard as the most important psychological factors connected with headache.
In the last decades researchers have tried to outline a specific headache personality. It seems doubtful howver, whether such a personality does exist.
Our conclusion is that various psychological and somatic factors simultaneously contribute to the existance of such complaints.
This implies the necessity of a multiple paradigma treatment approach.