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Development of the Migraine-Related Stigma (MiRS) Questionnaire: Results of the OVERCOME (US) Study

Seng EK, Muenzel EJ, Shapiro RE, Buse DC, Reed ML, Zagar AJ, Ashina S, Hutchinson S et al.

Headache, 2025

61,932 participants

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Stigma is emerging as an important social contributor to migraine-related disability and other outcomes. Currently, there are no published validated measures of migraine-specific measures of stigma.

OBJECTIVES: This secondary post hoc analysis of a cross-sectional cohort study aimed to develop a questionnaire to evaluate migraine-related stigma.

METHODS: Based on focus group discussions among persons with migraine and literature review, a panel of migraine experts iteratively developed 12 candidate items for the migraine-related stigma (MiRS) questionnaire, which aims to measure if and how people living with migraine perceive they are viewed in a stigmatizing manner by others. The United States ObserVational survey of the Epidemiology tReatment and Care Of MigrainE (OVERCOME) study identified people with active migraine within a demographically representative United States (US) adult sample and administered the novel MiRS questionnaire in addition to questionnaires assessing sociodemographics, monthly headache days, and migraine disability score (Migraine Disability Assessment) among other data. Exploratory factor analysis was then utilized to evaluate the structure of the MiRS items and determine the Cronbach's alpha described internal consistency of the factors.

RESULTS: This exploratory factor analysis was a secondary post hoc analysis of a cross-sectional cohort study derived from the OVERCOME population-based web survey, which was conducted in a United…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 61,932 participants or records.

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