The impact of migraine on work productivity in Switzerland

At the 4th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) in Lisbon a pair of new studies confirm the true cost of migraine - to individuals, society and businesses.

A French study looked at the socio-economic impact of the condition. In a survey of more than 7,700 people - a representative sample of the general population - fully 3.8 percent indicated that they experienced severe migraines on at least eight days of the month.

A Swiss study using self-reported data from the Migraine Buddy© application obtained even more detailed results regarding absenteeism in the workplace: a group of 700 working migraine patients reported losing an average of 32 days per year as a result of their study - a similar rate to that reported in the French study. But there were significant differences depending on the specific type of headache, according to study author Francois Cadiou (Singapore): "With an average of more than 56 working days missed per year, patients with chronic migraine had the highest rate of absenteeism. People with episodic migraine were unable to go to work on 33 days of the year, while those with low-frequency episodic migraine took an average of 15 days off as a result of their condition."

Another finding revealed an important point of departure for preventive measures: the number of sick days was not always constant. In fact, the total steadily increased, and with it the amount of medication taken if patients indicated 'anxiety' or 'depression' as a symptom or trigger at least once within the 28-day observation period. In light of the outcomes presented, experts at the EAN Congress have issued a call for increased investment in migraine research and prevention, citing the advantages to society as a whole.

Download the study here.