About 14% of psychiatric outpatients had headache diagnoses, and an exploratory case series suggests CGRP-targeted therapies may benefit those with migraine.
14.3%Prevalence of headache diagnoses among psychiatric outpatients
What the researchers found
14.3% of psychiatric outpatients had headache diagnoses, with the majority managed within psychiatry departments rather than neurology.
Why it matters
Headache in psychiatric patients is often attributed to their mental condition and undertreated. CGRP therapies may offer new options for these patients.
The numbers in context
- 2,525 psychiatric outpatients reviewed; 360 (14.3%) had headache diagnoses
- Headache types: generic headache 56.4%, migraine 25.6%, tension-type 12.8%
- Psychiatry managed 42.5% of headache cases; neurology managed 11.7%
- 7 patients received CGRP antibodies; all had headache improvement
- Mean age of CGRP patients: 48.4 years; 6 of 7 were women
How the study worked
Retrospective chart review of all psychiatric outpatients at a 600-bed Japanese general hospital over one year, with an exploratory CGRP case series.
Who was studied
N=2,525 psychiatric outpatients at a 600-bed Japanese regional hospital, 2023-2024. CGRP case series: 7 patients, mean age 48.4, 6 women.
What this study cannot tell us
Retrospective chart review in a single center. Headache diagnoses via insurance codes may be inaccurate. CGRP case series was exploratory with few patients.
How to read the evidence
Retrospective chart review with exploratory case series. Low evidence level; hypothesis-generating.
When this study was published
Published in 2025 covering April 2023 to March 2025.
The bigger picture
The overlap between headache disorders and psychiatric conditions is common, and CGRP-targeted therapies represent a growing area where neurology and psychiatry intersect.
Questions still open
- Are psychiatric outpatients being undertreated for primary headache disorders?
- Could CGRP-targeted therapies improve both headache and psychiatric outcomes?
Common questions
Is headache common in psychiatric patients?
What are CGRP therapies?
Read the original research
Characteristics and management of headache among psychiatric outpatients at a Japanese general hospital: A retrospective study with an exploratory CGRP case series.
PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 4(4), e70235
Citation
Otani, Kyohei; Imbe, Nobuyasu; Shindo, Ryota. (2025). Characteristics and management of headache among psychiatric outpatients at a Japanese general hospital: A retrospective study with an exploratory CGRP case series.. PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 4(4), e70235. https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.70235