Many people living with migraine are told their symptoms are “just stress” or “just anxiety.” And there’s also the common misconception of migraine as “just a bad headache.”

The reality isn’t so simple.

Migraine is a complex neurological condition. Many people spend months or years trying to understand why their symptoms keep changing, why their mental health feels different, or why they are being told different things by different healthcare professionals before receiving the right diagnosis and support.

Research shows that people with migraine are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than those without the condition. Scientists know the relationship is real, but they’re still working to understand the link.

This guide explains what researchers currently know about the relationship between migraine, anxiety, and depression, why the connection can be difficult to untangle, and how tracking your symptoms can help you and your doctor build a clearer picture over time.

Here’s what you need to know.

What is migraine?

Migraine is a neurological condition that causes recurring and sometimes debilitating symptoms that impact a person’s quality of life. The most common migraine symptom is a throbbing pain on one side of the head, but other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and light sensitivity.

Migraine symptoms, severity, and triggers can differ from person to person and even from one attack to the next.

Many people have identifiable triggers that increase their risk of having an episode, including emotional stress, hormonal changes, skipped meals, dehydration, poor sleep, bright lights, weather changes, caffeine, exercise, and specific foods.

Because migraine symptoms, mood, sleep, and triggers can all change over time, it isn’t always easy to understand what’s connected and what’s coincidence. Tracking changes in your mood, sleep, symptoms, medications, and possible triggers can help you build a clearer picture of your condition. Sharing this information with your doctor can support diagnosis, treatment decisions, and ongoing management.

Understanding the connection between migraine and your mental health

People with migraine have a higher risk of experiencing depression or anxiety. Being diagnosed with one of the conditions increases your risk of developing the other.

The exact medical connection between migraine, depression, and anxiety is not well understood, but there are some theories:

• Depression, like migraine, can run in families. Genetic factors may play a role in a person’s risk of developing these conditions.

• Depression, anxiety, and migraine all act on similar biochemical receptors in the brain. This connection could raise a person’s risk of developing one or more of these conditions simultaneously.

• Living with migraine, especially more severe forms of migraine like chronic migraine, takes a toll on mental health. Managing symptoms, appointments, triggers, and treatments can lead to an increased sense of dread, hopelessness, and anxiety.

• Some medications used to prevent migraine, including certain antidepressants and antiseizure medications, can cause side effects such as fatigue, confusion, or mood changes.

Migraine and depression

People with migraine are 2.2 to 4 times more likely to experience depression than those without. Research shows that migraine depression affects nearly 48% of people with the condition, with higher rates seen in people with more severe forms of migraine, like chronic migraine.

Common symptoms of depression include:

• Persistent feelings of sadness or emptiness
• Hopelessness or pessimism
• Irritability, frustration, or restlessness
• Loss of interest in hobbies or things you once enjoyed
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Changes in sleep quality
• Changes in appetite

Important note: Thoughts of self-harm or suicide are serious symptoms of depression. If you or someone you love is experiencing these thoughts, contact a crisis hotline in your area (988 in the US or Samaritans in the UK and Ireland). If a life-threatening situation arises, call the emergency services immediately.

Migraine and anxiety

Over 50% of people with migraine meet the criteria for at least one anxiety disorder during their lifetime. 

The most common anxiety disorders associated with migraine are panic disorder (PD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Symptoms of generalized anxiety include:

• Excessive worrying
• Feeling “on edge”
• Restlessness
• Difficult concentrating
• Changes in sleep quality

Migraine isn’t the only condition with this link

Migraine isn’t the only long-term condition linked with anxiety and depression.

Similar patterns are seen in other chronic conditions, including fibromyalgia, endometriosis, and chronic pain disorders. This suggests the relationship between physical and mental health is often more complex than a simple cause-and-effect explanation.

How tracking your symptoms helps

One of the most challenging parts of living with migraine is understanding how your symptoms influence one another. Changes in your mood, sleep, and symptoms can happen at the same time, making it difficult to work out what’s driving what.

For example, poor sleep can trigger a migraine attack, but migraine can also affect your sleep. Starting a new medication may improve your migraine frequency while also causing side effects that affect your mood or energy levels.

This is why health tracking can be incredibly valuable when you’re trying to make sense of your symptoms.

Because migraine and mental health are so closely connected, tracking day-to-day changes in your migraine symptoms, mood, sleep quality, medications, possible triggers, and potential side effects can help you spot patterns and identify connections that might otherwise be missed.

Think of your migraine symptoms as a tangled web. Tracking them over time helps you slowly tease apart the different threads, making it easier to identify patterns, possible triggers, and changes worth discussing with your doctor.

Even just a few weeks of data can reveal helpful insights.

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How to manage your mental health while living with migraine

If you are living with migraine and have noticed changes to your mood or mental health, speaking to your doctor for support and treatment can help validate your experience and ensure you get the treatment you need.

Depending on your specific situation, health, and needs, they may suggest some of the following treatment options:

• Therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychotherapy, or working with a psychiatrist to get mental health support and resources

• Medications, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs), benzodiazepines, or lithium, to better manage symptoms of anxiety or depression

• Making lifestyle changes, including prioritizing a consistent sleep schedule, exercising regularly, taking time to rest, and avoiding emotional stress as much as possible.

Many people also find it helpful to connect with others living with migraine. Whether online or in person, support groups can provide reassurance, practical advice, and a sense of community from people who understand what you’re going through.

Tracking your mood can help unlock patterns

If you are experiencing low mood or anxiety alongside your migraine symptoms, you are not alone. Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression are closely linked with migraine, although researchers are still working to understand exactly why.

Tracking things like your mood, sleep quality, and potential triggers before, during, and after migraine episodes is essential for understanding the complex picture of your condition. Instead of wondering whether your symptoms are connected, you can begin to identify patterns and have more informed conversations with your doctor about what may be helping or making things worse.

Using the Human Health app, you can quickly and easily track all of this information in one place, making it easier to understand your condition over time and share accurate, long-term records with your healthcare team.

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Frequently asked questions

Does migraine cause depression?

No, migraine does not cause depression, but both conditions are bidirectionally connected.

If you or someone you love has migraine and has been experiencing symptoms of depression, including persistent sadness, feelings of hopelessness, irritability, or increased fatigue, contact your doctor for additional support.

Is it common for people with migraine to have depression?

Yes. People with migraine, particularly those who have a higher number of headache days per month (14 headache days per month or more), are more likely to experience depression compared to those without the condition.

Do migraines make people anxious?

Living with migraine can understandably affect your mental health, particularly if attacks are frequent or unpredictable. Research shows that people with anxiety are more likely to experience migraine, indicating a possible bidirectional relationship between the conditions that scientists are still trying to fully understand.

Disclaimer: Human Health is a health tracking platform and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information in this guide is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Always consult your doctor or healthcare provider with questions about your health.

Sources:

1. Migraine, The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
2. Migraine Triggers: An Overview of the Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Atmospherics, and Their Effects on Neural Networks (2021)
3. Associations between anxiety, depression with migraine, and migraine-related burdens (2023)
4. The link between migraine, depression, and anxiety, The American Migraine Foundation
5. Migraine headache and the risk of depression (2022)
6. Depressive disorder (depression), The World Health Organization
7. The Development and Impact of Anxiety With Migraines: A Narrative Review (2022)
8. Generalized Anxiety Disorder: What You Need to Know, The National Institute of Mental Health
9. How to find a migraine support group, Healthline
10. Depression, The National Institute of Mental Health
11. Understanding the biological relationship between migraine and depression (2024)