Migraine and My Family: The Ripple Effect

A study of 12,545 migraine patients in 16 countries captures the impact of migraine on many aspects of daily life. The study shows that apart from the patients themselves, their close family (partner, children and parents) are all impacted as well.

Migraine is a major public health concern and the world’s third most prevalent disease. 01 More prevalent than diabetes, epilepsy and asthma combined 02, migraine attacks may last anything between 4 to 72 hours, and are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and changes in vision. 03 

Migraine may also have a significant impact on the lives of those living with the disease. Recent research carried out on behalf of Teva sought to further illustrate the multi-faceted burden of migraine. The Beyond Migraine: The Real You survey, conducted among 12,545 people living with migraine, reveals the personal impact of the disease on many aspects of people’s lives. One of the most poignant learnings from the research is the effect that having migraine has on the family, and particularly the lives of migraine patients' children.

As the quote from Mary indicates, people living with migraine can face significant challenges thrying to balance their migraine with family life. For example, the majority of responders said that, apart from themselves, their partner (68%) and children (55%) were the most impacted by their migraine. 05 The impact on parenthood can be devastating: six in ten of parents living with migraine surveyed state the disease has impacted their ability to provide unconditional parental support to their children.⁶ 

Furthermore, as echoed by Mary's words above, migraine can have a deep cascading effect, rippling through many aspects of family life. Four in ten parents said the disease had impacted their children’s ability to lead a carefree life, 05 while 44% of respondents said the disease had impacted the general happiness of their children.05 A child’s educational progress is also not immune to the potential impact, with over a quarter of those surveyed noting their children’s school results were negatively hit by their migraine.05

Migraine can place a significant emotional burden on those living with it, and almost four in ten patients state the disease has impacted their relationship with family members.05 Nearly a half of respondents acknowledge they have hidden a migraine from a family member, perhaps trying to save them the pressure and concern of having a loved one experiencing a migraine attack. 05

The global survey also highlights the impact within the family home for patients like Mary. Of those surveyed, respondents stated their ability to be a homemaker (50%), partner (45%) and child (38%) is hindered due to the disease. 05 Patients referenced tips and tricks to organise the house (33%) and cook quick meals (28%) as tools that might make a difference to their home life. 05

Conclusion

The Beyond Migraine: The Real You survey provides a holistic insight on the impact of migraine on the patient's family and its rippling effect it may have on all involved. The research reveals 86% of responders believe migraine isn’t taken seriously by society, painting a picture of frustration and isolation. 05

Teva is calling on society to support the migraine community and provide them with opportunities to speak more openly about the implications of migraine. By speaking with our family, friends and colleagues who live with migraine, we will not only educate ourselves and those around us but also shine a light on migraine, demystifying and destigmatizing it for the benefit of all. 

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12,545 migraine patients were surveyed in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden and the UK in November and December 2019, using an online survey administered to adults with migraine who report at least 4 monthly migraine days. All text in quotation marks are direct quotations from study participants. The data is based on surveyed patients reports. The above is a partial representation of the report and as such should not be relied upon for any use.

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