Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Quarantine on the Severity of Headache, Migraine, and Stress in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Purpose: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 quarantine on the severity of migraine symptoms and stress among adults in Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods: Between December 2020 and February 2021, 1212 participants aged 18–65 years completed an online self-administered questionnaire that covered socio-demographic data, self-administered questions, the ID migraine screener, numeric pain rating scale, and the perceived stress scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. Student’s t-test, paired t-test, and analysis of variance were used to compare quantitative variables, while the chi-square test was used to compare qualitative variables. Results: After removing ineligible and incomplete responses, we analyzed data obtained from 1111 participants. The mean age of the participants was approximately 29 years old (± 11.2 years); moreover, 87% were females. Headache severity during the COVID-19 quarantine was significantly lower than that during the last 3 months, with a difference of only 0.41 on the 1–10 pain severity scale. There was a significantly increased stress prevalence during the COVID-19 quarantine. During the COVID-19 quarantine, 49%, 56%, and 62% of patients without migraine, patients with possible migraine, and patients with diagnosed migraine, respectively, reported worsening of their perceived stress. There was a weak positive correlation between the severity of migraine symptoms and stress during COVID-19 quarantine. Moreover, headache severity was positively affected by the history of COVID-19 infections. Conclusion: The headache severity in patients with migraine decreased during COVID-19 quarantine compared with that during the last 3 months. Additionally, patients with diagnosed migraine had significantly higher scores on the perceived stress scale than patients without migraine.