Abstract

Headache is a disorder with biopsychosocial etiology. The aim of this study was to determine and compare mental health and emotional intelligence in patients with migraine and tension headaches compared to the control group. In this case-control study, three study groups (tension headache, migraine, and control group) 37 individuals from each group were included in the study.The study groups were compared in terms of demographic factors, emotional intelligence, mental illness, depression and anxiety, personal and family context of substance dependence. The mean score of emotional intelligence was observed highest in control group (7.746), then in the migraine group (63.42 7 73.42) and the lowest mean score in the tension headache group (73.30 +/- 6.396). In the tension group, there was a statistically significant negative relationship between depression and emotional intelligence (P = 0.013). In the migraine group, there was a statistically significant negative association between depression and emotional intelligence (P = 0.05) and in the control group, there were statistically significant relationships between stress and emotional intelligence (P = 0.05), anxiety and emotional intelligence (P = 0.024) and depression and emotional intelligence (P = 0.01).Stress, anxiety and depression were higher in patients with migraine and tension headaches than the control group. Stress, depression, and anxiety had a negative relationship with emotional intelligence in patients with migraine and tension headaches and control group, and the strongest negative relationship were observed between depression and emotional intelligence.