Alternative Treatments for Emotional Experiencing and Processing in People with Migraine or Tension-Type Headache: A Scoping Review.

This narrative review aims to summarize the use of alternative treatments (e.g., relaxation training, meditation, written intervention) for emotional expression, processing, control, or management in patients with migraine and tension-type headaches, which the previous literature has shown to be related to migraine pain perception and headache symptoms. Online databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Medline were searched to identify studies published between 2000 and 2023. A descriptive synthesis of the included studies was conducted. We included seven articles after screening 1.173 records. A total of 610 patients with a diagnosis of migraine or tension-type headache, and an average age of 19-45.5 years (68-90.4% females) were recruited in the selected studies. Overall, the results show that alternative approaches to headache treatment contribute to the management, reduction, or control of negative emotions and at the same time have a positive impact on pain perception and headache symptoms. However, in some cases, the effects are more promising than others, depending on the peculiarities or limitations of each approach considered. This review provides useful insights from a methodological point of view for future studies on the management or control of negative emotions in patients with migraine and tension-type headache.

After the first lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Perceptions, experiences, and effects on well-being in Italian people.

Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent measures of containment, multiple studies have been conducted aimed at assessing the impacts on people's psychophysical well-being; however, few studies have investigated the general population's perceptions, experiences, and effects by adopting a mixed-method approach. Methods: A total of 855 Italian participants completed an online survey, conducted in the period following the first lockdown in Italy. Psychological well-being, perceived stress and COVID-19-related fears were assessed by standardized questionnaires (Psychological General Well-Being Index-Short version, Perceived Stress Scale 10, and Multidimensional Assessment of COVID-19-Related Fears). The process of sense-making of the experience during the lockdown period was also evaluated by means of an open-ended question. Results: Participants reported a lower level of general well-being, and a higher level of both perceived stress and COVID-19-related fear during the lockdown period compared to the time of the survey (1 month after the resumption of activities). The thematic analysis of responses to the open-ended question revealed two factors and five clusters, which explain the thematic variance among the narratives: the first factor refers to the type of experience (emotional states and feelings vs. objective descriptions of daily activities), while the second concerns positive or negative connotations of the experiences reported. Conclusions: This study explored the psychological impact of the first lockdown on people's well-being, and described the process of making sense of the experience during the lockdown 1 month after going back to previous habits. Results highlighted the effectiveness of the mixed-method approach for an in-depth and exhaustive investigation of people's psychological condition during and after the first lockdown.