Date of Award
12-1-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Psychology
First Advisor
Todd A Smitherman
Second Advisor
Aaron A Lee
Third Advisor
Stefan E Schulenberg
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Purpose in life is a motivational aspect of meaning in life that fosters goal-directed behavior. Purpose in life has been linked to improved health outcomes in a variety of chronic medical conditions, and this effect seems at least partly attributable to engagement in health-promoting behaviors. However, the literature has not explored its role in headache disorders, which represent leading global causes of disability and are strongly influenced by other psychological factors. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between purpose in life and headache-related disability among individuals with migraine and tension-type headache. Given self-efficacy’s established mechanistic role in headache-related functioning, the present study also sought to examine if self-efficacy mediated the relationship between purpose in life and headache disability with consideration for headache type. In alignment with the proposed hypotheses, greater purpose in life was associated with lower headache-related disability, and this relationship was partially mediated by headache management self-efficacy. Although the moderated mediation analysis was not statistically significant in all groups, headache type significantly moderated the observed mediation, such that the relationship was stronger among those with episodic migraine than individuals with tension-type headache. Purpose in life may represent a protective factor regarding headache-related functioning, though the size of the purpose-disability relationship was small. Further work on purpose and positive psychology variables may expand the literature on headache disorders beyond a focus on risk factors and symptoms.
Recommended Citation
MacCharles, Kaitlyn Rose, "Headache Disability and Psychological Strengths: The Impact of Purpose in Life and Self-Efficacy" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3522.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3522