Behavioural Approaches to Headaches

Headaches are a common problem, and psychological factors are widely acknowledged as playing a critical role in the development and maintenance of a high proportion of cases. This mini series consists of six contributions to the headache literature from researchers working in Australia. The papers focus on cycles in headache activity; behavioural patterns, copying styles and personality characteristics of headache sufferers; psychophysiological pain mechanisms; and potential adverse consequences of simplistic treatment approaches. The emphasis on non-treatment studies is unusual in this field but argued to be appropriate in view of the lack of knowledge concerning basic headache processes.