Date of Award

2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Psychology

Specialization

Clinical Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Mark Robbins

Abstract

Migraine is a highly prevalent disease that often reduces quality of life and can be a financial burden to individuals and societies. Migraine frequency and severity are associated with sleep, stress, exercise, diet, and treatment use. Effective migraine management likely requires the use of a multiple health behavior change model. The current study applied the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change to migraine among adults to better understand factors influencing adults’ readiness to practice effective migraine self-management. Focus groups were conducted with 22 adults experiencing recurrent migraines. Through thematic analysis, seven key themes emerged: 1) effective migraine self-management includes several health behaviors and varies based on an individual's unique health needs; 2) it is important to track and understand migraine triggers; 3) people living with migraine want to engage in effective management of their symptoms to improve quality of life and functioning; 4) people living with migraine often have other health concerns that impact their migraine self-management; 5) it is difficult to balance migraine self-management and other responsibilities; 6) there is limited access to migraine care; 7) social support is important for migraine self-management. Qualitative findings demonstrate that the Transtheoretical Model can likely be used to support multiple health behavior change in individuals living with migraine.

Available for download on Friday, September 12, 2025

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