| Migraineurs Keep Working Despite Pain | |
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Results of a recent survey on Migraine in the workplace serve to reinforce workplace problems of which Migraineurs were already aware and to point out other significant problems. The survey, conducted by HarrisInteractive and sponsored by Pfizer Inc., is the first to examine the impact of Migraine in the workplace and the efforts of Migraine sufferers to maintain their productivity.
Impact:
Of the more than 3,000 American Migraineurs surveyed, 66% "toughed it
out" while continuing to work despite the debilitating symptoms of their
Migraine attacks. Nine out of 10 Migraine sufferers polled said they have
suffered a Migraine at work.
Of those who had a Migraine at work, 91 percent said their ability to function
on the job was affected “somewhat” or a “great deal.” This translates to about
400 hours per person of diminished performance a year, based on national
projections from the survey sample.
In addition, respondents said they lost the equivalent of more than four days of
work a year on average because of Migraine. Based on an estimated 18.5 million
Migraine sufferers in the workforce, Migraine results in roughly 80 million lost
workdays per year. Those reporting severe Migraine – about 20% of all sufferers
– lost twice as much time in the past three months alone.
What's
the Problem?
Simply put:
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Too many Migraineurs do not seek medical care for their Migraines.
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Too many times, medications that are not specifically for Migraine are prescribed, and don't effectively treat Migraine.
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All too often Migraineurs aren't well enough educated about the disease to know to ask their doctors about Migraine-specific treatments or lack the confidence to question their doctors.
“These men and women tough it out
to get the job done in order to advance in their careers or because they don’t
want to let down their coworkers,” said Jan Lewis Brandes, M.D., Clinical
Faculty in Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN.
“But the tragedy is that most of them don’t have to put on a brave face – there
is help in the form of proper diagnosis and effective treatment.”
Still, 61% of Migraine sufferers polled said they rely on over-the-counter (OTC)
medications or take nothing at all. Of those who take prescription medications,
only one third said they are “satisfied or very satisfied” with their treatment.
“Many Migraine patients are put on therapies that are not specific for Migraine.
And because many sufferers aren’t aware that there are effective medications
available specifically for Migraine, they don’t talk to their doctors about
their condition or ask for better therapies,” Dr. Brandes said.
While they are toughing it out, most Migraine sufferers reveal that Migraine
does impact job performance. Eighty-two percent of those polled said Migraines
hindered their ability to solve problems as well as affected their ability to
interact with others.
Women reported they feel less in control than men over the impact of Migraine on
their family and social lives, while men reported slightly less control than
women on their careers. Nonetheless, women were more likely to seek support from
colleagues. Only 17% of women polled said their colleagues didn’t know about
their Migraine condition, vs. 29% of men. Men in the survey acknowledged that
they were less comfortable discussing Migraines and were less likely to have
told their boss about their headache condition, or to have admitted that
Migraine was the reason they reported in sick.
Too Many
Misconceptions and Not Enough Understanding Exist:
A majority of men and women who were polled said that it is difficult
for non-sufferers to understand how Migraines affected their quality of life
(89%).
“People’s lives and careers, as well as their sense of personal well-being, are
far too valuable to lose to Migraine,” Dr. Brandes said. “Migraine sufferers
don’t have to tough it out because there are effective treatments available. To
be empowered to take charge of both their disease and their lives, Migraine
sufferers need to feel that others do understand and empathize with them, and
that Migraine is not to be minimized or trivialized. This landmark survey shows
us just how significant the impact of Migraine is,” she said.
Poll
Results Graphs:
(Click on any of the images to see a larger version.)
Images © 2003, Pfizer, Inc.
Used with the permission of Pfizer.
Poll
Methodology:
Three-thousand sixty-four U.S. adults who experience migraine – 1,425
men and 1,639 women – were surveyed online from October 28 through November 5,
2002. Respondents for this report include 2,206 migraine sufferers – 1,089 men
and 1,117 women – who are currently employed or self-employed full- or part-time
(70% of all adult migraine sufferers on a weighted basis).
Respondents were screened from Harris Interactive’s online panel and include adults who have been diagnosed with migraine as well as adults who, while not diagnosed, believe that they experience migraine. The self-administered online questionnaire took an average of 18 minutes to complete.
About
Pfizer:
Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures and markets leading
prescription medicines, for humans and animals, and many of the world's
best-known consumer products.
Pfizer Neuroscience is committed to pioneering innovative therapies for
neurological and psychiatric disorders. Pfizer’s experience in the areas of
depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy has helped
bring leading medicines to market for the treatment of these disorders.
Neurologic and psychiatric disorders represent an important priority in Pfizer’s
$5.2 billion development effort, with more than 20 percent of the research and
development budget allocated to the development of more effective neuroscience
medicines for disorders such as mood and anxiety disorders, Migraine,
neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, epilepsy and smoking cessation.
For more information about Migraine or the Harris Poll, please visit
www.MigraineRelief.com.
~ Teri Robert
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