Abstract
Based on answers to a headache questionnaire college women were classified on a two-dimensional array according to their relative frequencies of both vascular (migraine) and tension (muscle contraction) pain. The various groups were then compared on a measure of the coronary-prone Type A behavior pattern. In two independent surveys, one with 237 respondents and one with 206 respondents, increasing frequencies of both types of headaches were significantly associated with higher scores on the Type A scale from the Jenkins Activity Survey. The findings support prior data from a client population, also reported, and suggest appropriate therapeutic interventions for headache relief. They also clearly show that a behavior pattern which has been associated with coronary artery disease now can be considered to have implications for other problems as well.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ad Hoc Committee on the Classification of Headache, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness (1962). Classification of headache.Neurology 12: 378–380.
Adams, H. E., Feuerstein, M., and Fowler, J. L. (1980). Migraine headache: Review of parameters, etiology, and intervention.Psychol. Bull. 87: 217–237.
Adler, R., MacRitchie, K., and Engle, G. L. (1971). Psychologic processes in ischemic stroke (occlusive cerebrovascular disease).Psychosom. Med. 33: 1–29.
Bakal, D. A. (1975). Headache: A biopsychological perspective.Psychol. Bull. 82: 369–382.
Bihldorf, J. P., King, S. H., and Parnes, L. R. (1971). Psychological factors in headache.Headache 11: 117–127.
Delassio, D. J. (1972).Wolff's Headache and Other Head Pain. Oxford Press, New York.
Friedman, A. P., von Storch, T. J. C., and Merritt, H. H. (1954). Migraine and tension headaches: A clinical study of two thousand cases.Neurology 4: 773–788.
Gentry, W. D., Jenkins, C. D., Kaplan, B. H., Heyman, A., Breslin, M. S., and Gianturco, D. T. (1979). Type A behavior pattern and ischemic cerebrovascular disease.Heart & Lung 8: 1113–1116.
Gianturco, D. T., Breslin, M. S., Heyman, A., Gentry, W. D., Jenkins, C. D., and Kaplan, B. (1974). Personality patterns and life stress in ischemic cerebrovascular disease. 1. Psychiatric findings.Stroke 5: 453–460.
Glass, O. (1979). Personal communication, Jan.
Henryk-Gutt, R., and Rees, W. L. (1973). Psychological aspects of migraine.J. Psychosom. Res. 17: 141–153.
Holroyd, K., and Andrasik, F. (1978). Coping and the self-control of chronic tension headache.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 46(5): 1036–1045.
Jenkins, C. D. (1979).Jenkins Activity Survey, The Psychological Corp., New York.
Mitchell, K. R., and Mitchell, D. M. (1971). Migraine: An exploratory treatment application of programmed behavior therapy techniques.J. Psychosom. Res. 15: 137–157.
O'Brien, M. D. (1971). Cerebral blood changes in migraine.Headache 10: 139–143.
Ostfeld, A. M., and Wolff, H. G. (1958). Identification of mechanisms and management of the migraine syndrome.Med. Clin. N. Am. 42: 1497–1509.
Philips, C. (1978). Tension headache: Theoretical problems.Behav. Res. Ther. 16: 249–261.
Ross, W. D., and McNaughton, F. L. (1945). Objective personality studies in migraine by means of Rorschach method.Psychosom. Med. 7: 73–79.
Selby, G., and Lance, J. W. (1960). Observations on 500 cases of migraine and allied vascular headache.J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. 23: 230–232.
Tunis, M. M., and Wolff, H. G. (1953). Studies on headache: Longterm observations of the reactivity of the cranial arteries in subjects with vascular headache of the migraine type.Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. 70: 551–557.
Wolff, H. G. (1937). Personality features and reactions of subjects with migraine.Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. 37: 895–921.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Woods, P.J., Morgan, B.T., Day, B.W. et al. Findings on a relationship between Type A behavior and headaches. J Behav Med 7, 277–286 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00845360
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00845360