Date of Award
1-1-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Psychology
First Advisor
Todd Smitherman
Second Advisor
Aaron Lee
Third Advisor
Laura Dixon
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Migraine is among the most common and burdensome neurological disorders in the United States, significantly impairing daily functioning. Psychological variables such as depression, anxiety, stress, and fear of pain are known to exacerbate migraine experiences, while receiving social support has been broadly associated with improved health outcomes. Although giving and receiving social support are protective for physical and mental health, their specific influence on migraine outcomes remains underexplored. This study investigated experimentally whether giving social support increased pain tolerance and reduced pain intensity as measured using a cold pressor test among 117 individuals with migraine. This study also examined the contributions of self-reported social support (giving and receiving) and psychological distress to headache-related disability and fear of pain. Contrary to hypotheses, giving social support did not significantly affect pain tolerance or peak pain intensity, nor did measures of giving and receiving social support significantly predict headache-related disability or fear of pain. Other psychological factors consistently emerged as robust predictors of migraine-related disability and quality of life, however. Exploratory analyses further indicated that social connectedness was not a significant independent predictor of migraine outcomes. These findings suggest that emotional support, as defined in this study, may have limited immediate effects on pain and functional outcomes among individuals with migraine, indicating a potentially more nuanced, context-dependent role if one indeed exists.
Recommended Citation
Thaxter, Lauren, "Giving and Receiving Social Support Among Individuals with Migraine" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3400.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3400