Headache sufferers' drawings reflect distress, disability and illness perceptions

Drawings offer an additional way to assess peoples' experience of their headaches and reflect illness perceptions and distress and the inclusion of force to the head, darker drawings, and larger drawings are associated with worse perceptions of the headache and higher pain.

Abstract

Drawings offer an additional way to assess peoples' experience of their headaches and reflect illness perceptions and distress. People draw how they see themselves experiencing their headache and often include expressions and reactions. The inclusion of force to the head, darker drawings, and larger drawings are associated with worse perceptions of the headache and higher pain. Drawings may be a useful way for clinicians to understand patients' experience of pain.