Chronic tension-type headache in adolescents. Clinical and psychological characteristics analyzed through self- and parent-report questionnaires.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the relation between the symptoms reported by adolescents with chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) and their perception of their emotional and behavioral functioning.

METHODS: Two groups of adolescents (clinical group, n = 48; control group, n = 135) and their parents (clinical group, n = 42; control group, n = 128) were studied, respectively, with the Youth Self-Report Questionnaire and the Child Behavior Checklist. Moreover, a secondary analysis was performed, identifying another subgroup of adolescents who reported having headaches.

RESULTS: The clinical group of adolescents obtained higher scores than the control group in Internalizing Syndrome; Aggressive Behavior for Externalizing Syndrome; Social, Thought, and Attention Problems; and in all Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV)-oriented scales (except conduct problems). Differences between the two groups of parents were found in all the scales. The controls reporting headaches obtained interesting intermediate scores.

CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with CTTH show greater emotional and behavioral problems than their healthy peers. Consequently, clinical approaches for proper diagnosis and treatment need to adopt a multidisciplinary prospective.