ABSTRACT
A specific event is not stressor for all persons. It is perception that determines an event is stressor or not. Headache causes that peoples have problems to evaluate events. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of group therapy on perception of stressors in recurrent headache patients. In this semi-experimental study on female students of Shiraz University, 20 students diagnosed as having headache were selected as case group. Control group was consisted of 32 normal students with same sex and age as case group. Both groups [case and control] were asked to fill a Daily Minor Hassles Questionnaire. They were compared for two variables, perception of the unpleasant stressors and the frequency of unpleasant stressors. In second part of the research, patients in the case group were asked to participate in a 90 minute session per week for 9 weeks. They were compared in three conditions of pre-test, mid-test and post-test. Data were analyzed using independent t-student and paired t-test. Our results showed a significant difference between headache [case] group and normal [control] group in perception of the unpleasant stressors and the frequency of unpleasant stressors [P<0.05]. We also found that cognitive-behavioral group therapy throughout the therapeutic sessions decreased perception of the unpleasant stressors and the frequency of unpleasant stressors in headache patients. Cognitive-behavioral group therapy decreases perception of the unpleasant stressors and the frequency of unpleasant stressors in patients with recurrent headache